48% of the food affected by the VAT reduction has become more expensive so far in 2023

Oil, the product that rises the most in August in most supermarkets

MADRID, 31 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

48% of the food affected by the VAT reduction has become more expensive so far in 2023, according to the analysis carried out in August by Facua-Consumers in Action, which remembers that, according to the royal decree law by which the extent, none of these products can increase in price unless there are cost increases.

Specifically, the consumer organization denounces that the percentage of prices in which it has detected increases has been increasing progressively since January. Thus, while in January it only detected increases of 6.7%, in February they rose 17.4%, in March 30.8%, in April 42%, in May 43.8%, in June the 44.7%, in July 47% and in August 48.4%.

In this way, the association has reviewed on this occasion the evolution of 976 prices in eight distribution chains during August, where it has detected that in 471, 48.4%, the price has become more expensive compared to the one they had the past 30 December once the VAT reduction has been applied.

In August, the largest number of increases was detected in Carrefour, where 95 of the total 163 prices analyzed (58.2%) became more expensive, followed by Alcampo, with 71 more expensive products than on December 30 (once applied the VAT reduction) on a sample of 129 prices (55%).

Aldi, which in previous months had led this ranking, has increased 39 of the 59 prices analyzed (52.5%), while Lidl has done so in 33 of the 64 foods included in this study (51.1%). . The association has detected 82 more expensive prices in Hipercor out of a total of 165 foods (49.6%), while in Dia 58 items of the 128 considered have become more expensive (45.3%).

In this way, the two chains where the lowest percentage of prices have been raised are Eroski, with 58 products out of the total 130 included in the analysis (44.6%) and Mercadona, with 52 increases among the 138 prices registered. (37.6%).

This total of 471 more expensive prices represents an increase compared to the 463 detected in July on a similar sample (976 this month compared to 985 last month).

In Mercadona, Hipercor, Alcampo, Lidl and Carrefour the total number of foods that have become more expensive has increased compared to the month of June, while Eroski and Aldi are the only distributors where the percentage of prices with increases has decreased, while in Dia has stayed the same.

Regarding the foods that have increased their prices the most, of the 471 analysed, 144 correspond to fruits or vegetables (30.6% of the total), 93 are olive oils (19.7%) and 63 are rice and pasta (13.4%).

In addition, 70 price increases have been detected among milk and dairy products (14.9%) and 38 among legumes (8.1%). The remaining prices correspond to eggs, flour and bread.

The biggest rise in Alcampo breaks a record this month, since a kilo of Fuji apples went from costing 1.43 euros in January to now having a price of 3.69, an increase of 157.6%. At Aldi, the largest increase corresponds to the two-kilo mesh of El Mercado orange, from 2.39 euros at the beginning of the year to 4.99 in August (103.5%).

Carrefour also has a record rise, since the kilo of pomegranates experiences an increase of 186.9%, from costing 1.91 euros in January, it is now worth 5.49, while in Mercadona, the Sabroz round rice package went from 1 .82 euros at the beginning of the year to 2.68 euros in August, which is 47.4% more. At Hipercor, this same product has become more expensive, going from 1.82 to 2.79 euros (an increase of 53.5%).

For its part, the product that has become more expensive on Day of those analyzed is the three-liter carafe of virgin olive oil Almazara, which went from costing 14.46 euros at the beginning of the year to 23.10 this month, a rise of 59.7%. At Eroski, on the other hand, it is a one-liter bottle of Coosur Hojiblanca, from 5.34 to 9.99 euros, an 83.9% increase.

Oil is also what experiences a greater increase in Lidl. Thus, the five-liter carafe of Olisone goes from 23.59 euros at the beginning of 2023 to 33.75 in August, which represents an increase of 42.9%.

In this context, Facua has reiterated that it is going to expand again the complaints that it has been presenting monthly before the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) against the analyzed chains (Alcampo, Aldi, Carrefour, Dia, Eroski, Lidl, Hipercor and Mercadona), while he has regretted that to date this body continues without giving him any kind of response.

The organization has insisted on demanding that the Competition investigate which increases have been the result of increases in costs and which imply increases in profit margins for any member of the food chain, a practice prohibited by the royal decree-law by which it was approved VAT reduction.