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It was launched as a tool to help consumers navigate rising prices and shop smarter. But just one week in, Cyprus’ much-hyped e-kalathi platform is facing harsh criticism, and not just from shoppers.
In a strongly worded statement, the Cyprus Consumers’ Association says the platform has failed to deliver on its promises and offers little real benefit to the public.
“Unfortunately, the promises made to us have been spectacularly broken,” the association said. “Consumers have once again been left unprotected.”
Fewer products, limited use
According to the association, the government initially said the digital basket would include up to 3,000 products, but in reality, it launched with just 478. And while one of the main selling points was that consumers would be able to calculate and compare the total cost of their shopping basket across supermarkets, that function doesn’t work as advertised.
Instead, shoppers have to manually check each item across stores to find the cheapest option, which defeats the purpose of a user-friendly price comparison tool.
“It’s not possible to compare prices based on a shopper’s location. The comparisons are province-wide, and there’s no clear way to identify common products between supermarkets,” the association explained. “In fact, the option to compare full baskets between stores was deliberately left out.”
No room for public input
The Consumer Association also slammed the government for not involving organized consumer groups during the planning and rollout of the platform. This lack of input, they argue, shows that the app wasn’t built with actual consumer needs in mind.
Worse still, the watchdog believes the platform may already be hurting competition instead of encouraging it. In its first week, out of 27 supermarket chains with 148 stores total, seven actually increased prices, seven lowered them, and thirteen made no changes at all. Meanwhile, several supermarkets adjusted the number of products listed, which could affect how prices appear in the system.
Disappointment across the board
The overall takeaway? E-kalathi isn’t doing what it promised, and consumers are left disappointed...again.
“It’s sad that after all the talk, consumers are still without any real help,” the association said.
As cost-of-living pressures continue, many in Cyprus had hoped that e-kalathi would be a step toward smarter shopping and greater transparency. But for now, it seems the app is just another missed opportunity.
