The e-kalathi online tool, launched in June, has largely failed to achieve its goals, the Cyprus consumers association said on Tuesday.

The tool was introduced to help consumers compare prices and choose the cheapest supermarkets.

It was also intended to encourage healthy competition and reduce overall prices.

However, the association said early results indicate the scheme has had limited effect. It points to a steady decline in the difference in total cost between the most expensive and the cheapest supermarkets for 200 common products.

Figures show that in July, the difference was 13 per cent. It fell to 11.7 per cent in August, 9.3 per cent in September, 6 per cent in October, and 5.8 per cent in November.

The association said this decline appears to be driven more by rising prices at the cheapest supermarkets than falling prices at the most expensive ones.

The November 2025 price monitoring report also highlighted other issues.

Some major supermarket chains, with stores across Cyprus, list very few products on e-kalathi. The association says this limits consumer choice.

Price variations within the same supermarket chain have also appeared, a change from earlier months.

Categories such as personal care products showed the highest price increase, averaging 2.5 per cent, while ‘other bakery products’ recorded the largest average decrease at 3.5 per cent.