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The Cyprus Consumers Association says supermarket prices showed a mixed picture during the second half of July, with hundreds of products becoming more expensive while price reductions were recorded across an even larger number of items.
Using data from the government's e-kalathi price comparison platform, the association found that between 16 and 31 July, prices increased for 805 products, with an average rise of 10.6%. During the same period, 908 products became cheaper, recording an average price reduction of 11.9%.
Among the categories recording the biggest average price increases were frozen pasta products and pizzas, fruit juices, and chocolates and pasta.
The association also examined pricing differences between supermarkets participating in the e-kalathi system. It said the variation in prices between many retailers remained substantial, suggesting that shoppers can still find significant savings by comparing prices before making purchases.
A comparison carried out on 31 July covering 177 identical products sold by 12 supermarkets found a 15.8% difference in the average total shopping cost. Looking only at the five supermarket chains offering the largest number of comparable products, the gap narrowed to 7.6% across 327 identical items listed on the platform.
The Consumers Association is encouraging shoppers, where practical, to avoid buying products that have recently become more expensive. It believes consumer purchasing choices can help discourage further price increases.
The findings are based exclusively on prices published through the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry's e-kalathi platform and the free Smart Kalathi application. The association said it will continue monitoring supermarket prices and regularly publish its analysis and findings.
