Spanish F&V are products with highest price rise in May

A study by Spanish consumer association Facua has found that of the 1,000 food items affected by the VAT reduction, 43.8% have seen an increase in their price in supermarkets. In March, the rate was around 33% and in February it was around 20%.

This finding has promoted Facua to renew its complaints already made in January, February, March and April sent to the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC), which has so far not given any response. The complaints will again be directed against all the chains under analysis: Alcampo, Aldi, Carrefour, Dia, Eroski, Lidl, Hipercor and Mercadona.

The largest number of price rises were detected at Aldi, where 32 of the total 58 products analysed have risen (55.1%). Next came Carrefour (52.1%), Hipercor (47.6%), Dia (44.9%), Lidl (44.4%) and Alcampo (44.3%).

The two chains where the lowest percentage of price increases have been registered are Eroski (36.6%) and Mercadona (30.1%).

Of the 438 products for which Facua detected a relative price rise, 147 relate to fruits or vegetables (33.4% of the total), the largest category. Specifically, oranges and potatoes have become significantly more expensive in some supermarkets. In Dia, a 3kg bag of washed potatoes has increased in price by 70% this year, from €2.88 in January to €4.89 in May. At Hipercor, table oranges are 108.7% more expensive than when the VAT reduction came into force in January (from a sale price of €1.72 to €3.59).