Image: colourbox.de (GEPA pictures)
The Chamber of Labor (AK) criticizes the fact that the prices for cheap groceries and drugstore goods in the chain stores have risen significantly above the inflation rate. The prices of individual products have more than doubled. In some cases, the inexpensive own brands are no longer available, so consumers have to switch to the – more expensive – branded products.
Price higher than inflation
The AK has put together its own shopping basket with the “cheapest drugstore goods, food and cleaning products as well as branded drugstore goods and branded food”. According to this, the cheapest drugstore goods in April this year were a third more expensive at Bipa, a quarter at DM and a fifth at Müller than a year ago. Food and cleaning products have risen by between a fifth and a third – with inflation at 10 percent.
Where prices have doubled
The AK criticizes a doubling of the price for selected products. This applies, for example, to the clever fish sticks at Billa and Billa Plus, which are no longer on offer, the cheapest alternative product now costs a good twice as much as the cheap product a year ago. At Spar there is no longer an S-Budget hair shampoo, the cheapest alternative now (in March) is almost three times as expensive. At Hofer, the AK points to sunflower oil, which has doubled in price.
Nail polish remover is a fifth more expensive
Price increases in the drugstore sector are even more massive. The cheapest available nail polish remover at Bipa is more than five times as expensive as a year ago, at DM the AK has targeted the cheapest cling film on offer, which is now five times as expensive as a year ago. The AK found maximum price increases of around 70 percent for branded products.
Source: Nachrichten
