Consumer Council released its ‘Supermarket Price Survey’ of August. When comparing the data collected in July, 32 percent of 341 on-shelf products recorded a price decrease, 27.5 percent of the products remained no change in price; while 40.5 percent of the products had recorded an increase in price. The overall price increases were from below 1 to 2 percent.
Consumer Council conducted the latest ‘Supermarket Price Survey’ dated 20th August. In comparison with the 341 products surveyed in July, prices of 109 on-shelf products had been decreased and these items included seasonings and bottled water. Many surveyed cooking oil brands recorded price decreases from 1 to 5 percent. 138 on-shelf products which recorded price increases of around 1 to 5 percent were items such as canned foods, snacks, dairy products and toothpastes. 94 on-shelf products in the recent survey had remained no change in price, and when compared to the previous survey, 14 more items had recorded no price change this time. The current survey reviewed that prices of most staple foods remained stable.
The Council also analyzed the numbers of lowest price products available in the 15 supermarkets surveyed. Tai Fung supermarket Taipa branch recorded the most numbers of lowest price items in which 101 items at that branch recorded the lowest price among all surveyed supermarkets. Tai Fung supermarket at R. Chiu Chau ranked the second, with 92 of its on-shelf items having the lowest price, and the third place went to Cidade San Miu supermarket with 55 of its on-shelf items being recorded with the lowest price. Starting from June, consumers can make price comparison in a more convenient way by accessing to the function of ‘Lowest Price in Town’ of the ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps where they can browse the latest numbers of lowest price products found in the 15 surveyed supermarkets
Among the 4 supermarket chains surveyed, selling prices were found to vary in different branches in different regions and price discrepancies were observed again in branches of San Miu and Tai Fung supermarkets. Around the 220 on-shelf items sold in both Tai Fung supermarket Taipa branch and R. Chiu Chau branch, 55 percent of the products were found to have a price discrepancy of over 10 percent, and the items were mainly canned foods and dairy products. Over half of the 250 on-shelf items sold in both San Miu supermarket R. dos Mercadores branch and Cidade branch were found to have price discrepancies, with percentage differences of 5 percent to over 15 percent. From around the 260 on-shelf products sold in both Royal supermarket S. Lourenco branch and Sun Star Plaza branch, 23 products were found to have price discrepancies of over 5 to 10 percent. 10 percent of the on-shelf products sold in Park'n Shop branches located at R. Areia Preta and Sun Star Plaza were found to have price discrepancies and the items were mainly beverages and snacks.
Consumers are advised to check with the information available on the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), especially the function of ‘Top Ten Price Differences’. Consumers can also download the ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps to make price comparisons.
The latest ‘Supermarket Price Survey’ is now available on Consumer Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), and the ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps. The survey is also available free of charge at the offices of Consumer Council, IACM’s Iao Hon and S. Domingos Markets, bookstores and libraries. Consumers may also access the resources through WAP channels on their mobile phones. For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
