Noticeable price increases in products listed on the government’s e-kalathi online price comparison platform have emerged since last recorded, the Consumers Association warned on Monday, also finding limited competitive pressure across most participating supermarkets.

The association processed and evaluated prices recorded on Monday, benchmarking them against data from July 2025.

Its survey covered 42 randomly selected products drawn from all categories on the platform.

“From the recording, the average percentage difference of the most expensive product price compared to the cheapest is 62 per cent,” the association said, describing the figure as “very high for basic consumer products.”

In six of the 42 products surveyed, the price gap between the cheapest and most expensive option exceeded 100 per cent.

“With these data, one cannot claim that there is fierce competition, at least in the products included,” it added.

The findings on fresh pasteurised milk offered a notable contrast with the average price difference across supermarkets nationwide stood at just 18 per cent, while among the three largest chains the difference was “zero.”

The association stressed that fierce competition was found “only in a small number of supermarkets” on common products listed on the platform, while the vast majority showed no such competitive dynamic.

All conclusions were drawn exclusively from prices published on e-kalathi, the association emphasised, adding that it would continue to monitor price movements and “transparently publish its conclusions” from ongoing evaluations.

E-kalathi was introduced as a tool to help consumers compare grocery prices across supermarkets, with the stated aim of encouraging competition and easing cost-of-living pressures.