More products became cheaper than more expensive on the e-kalathi price tracking platform during the second half of July, although wide price differences between supermarkets continued to raise questions over the strength of competition in Cyprus’ grocery market.

According to the Consumers Association’s latest review, prices increased across 805 products between July 16 and 31, with an average rise of 10.6 per cent. At the same time, 908 products became cheaper, recording an average reduction of 11.9 per cent. 

The findings therefore point to prices moving sharply in both directions, rather than a uniform increase across the market. 

The largest category-level increases were recorded in frozen pasta and pizzas, where prices rose by 7.6 per cent, followed by fruit juices at 6.6 per cent. Prices for chocolates and pasta increased by 6.3 per cent. 

However, the association said the differences between the selling prices of supermarkets participating in the e-kalathi platform remained significant. 

It noted that, in most participating supermarkets, the discrepancies “are so large that they do not seem to constitute an indication of intense competition”. 

More specifically, a survey conducted on July 31 covering 177 products available across 12 supermarkets found a 15.8 per cent difference in their average total cost. 

The gap was narrower among the five supermarkets carrying the largest number of products on the platform. In a comparison of 327 common products, the difference in total cost stood at 7.6 per cent. 

The figures come as price pressures remain elevated across the wider economy. Cyprus’ annual harmonised inflation rate was estimated at 4 per cent in July, easing slightly from 4.1 per cent in June but remaining far above the 0.1 per cent recorded a year earlier, according to Eurostat’s estimate.