Price of consumer staples see-saw in December

The price of basic consumer goods fluctuated up and down this month according to average retail price levels on December 7, 2022, compared with the previous month with the largest decreases recorded in flour, which in some places dropped by up to 14 per cent.

According to the consumer protection services monthly price survey index, on an annual basis, compared with last December, oil prices recorded the biggest increase up 35 per cent, followed by cheese prices at 20.5 per cent and pasta by 17.4 per cent.

“Price surveys are not intended and cannot replace the market research that each consumer should do based on their own preferences, data and needs, nor are they intended to indicate to consumers which outlets to choose,” the consumer protection service noted.

The survey found that the average sales price for fresh milk ranged on December 7 from €1.56 to €3.03, remaining relatively stable compared to the prices on November 9.

In relation to the average price of rice and legumes, this ranged from €1.53 to €5.66. Some products recorded price reductions by up to 7 per cent, while in some others it increased by up to a whopping 22 per cent.

Meanwhile, the average price of yoghurt ranged from €1.87 to €4.41, showing an increase of up to 5 per cent annually, while on a monthly basis it fell by up to 1.2 per cent, compared with the month leading up to November 9.

The average price of coffee ranged from €2.79 to €7.53, with the increase in some coffee prices reaching up to 3 per cent, while in others decreasing up to 6 per cent.

In relation to the average price of flour, sugar and eggs, this ranged from €1.30 to €2.99, with flour prices falling across all products recorded by the survey by up to 14 per cent, while the price of sugar and eggs rose 6.1 per cent and 3.8 per cent respectively.

The average price of cheese ranged from €1.81 to €6.76, showing in some cases an increase of up to 5.6 per cent compared to November 9 and in some others a decrease of up to 3.1 per cent.

For cereals the average price ranged from €2.38 to €3.85, while cold meats were sold between €2.58 and €3.88.

The average price of canned food ranged from €1.16 to €8.09, the average price of water ranged from €2.20 to €3.01, while the average price of frozen food ranged from €3.54 to €17, 93 with the increase in prices of some products reaching up to 9.5 per cent.

In addition, the average price of pasta ranged from €1.30 to €1.70, while the average price of vegetables ranged from €0.39 to €1.75.

According to the price survey, the average price of fresh local meat ranged from €3.75 to €12.11, while the average price of fresh fish ranged from €8.04 to €25.65.

The price of baked goods ranged from €1.26 to €1.92, while the average price in oils/pastes ranged from €0.47 to €12.57.

The consumer protection service was quick to stress however that some of the products included in the survey have quality differences that cannot be taken into account in the results of a price survey, and therefore urged consumers to do substantial market research before proceeding with purchases, in order to find the products and prices that meet their requirements.