Cyprus supermarket price gaps reach 226 per cent, consumer survey finds

Nicosia, Cyprus. A survey by the Cyprus consumers association found price differences reaching 226 per cent for identical supermarket products and prompted the organisation to call for a review of the government’s e-kalathi platform. The results, published this week, also indicated that equivalent fruit and vegetables cost an average of 26 per cent less at a Nicosia farmers’ market than in supermarkets.

Survey records substantial price differences

The association said it conducted the survey on September 30, examining every product and supermarket included in e-kalathi, which was launched to enable consumers to compare prices charged by supermarkets.

Comparisons of the lowest and highest advertised prices revealed gaps of 100 to 226 per cent for 54 items, accounting for 11.3 per cent of the products examined. Another 231 products, representing 48.5 per cent, had gaps of 50 to 99 per cent, while 130 products, or 27.3 per cent, recorded differences of 30 to 49 per cent.

When the highest advertised price was measured against the participating supermarkets’ average, the association found differences of 50 to 137 per cent for 86 products, representing 18 per cent.

Products from Cyprus generally had narrower gaps between the lowest and highest prices, according to the association.

Competition and platform coverage questioned

The findings brought renewed scrutiny to competition on prices, the availability of products and the reliability of the platform’s published information.

The association expressed concern about competition between retailers, saying that price competition appeared limited across the vast majority of supermarkets taking part.

It also questioned whether every product listed on e-kalathi could reasonably be considered a household essential in widespread use.