Supermarket prices are diverging again

You see it more and more often: the price gap between budget and A-brands continues to widen. A recent price survey by the Consumentenbond shows that budget groceries have actually become cheaper since November 2024. A-brands, by contrast, have risen in price once again. The survey was conducted across thirteen major supermarket chains in the Netherlands.

Budget down, A-brand up

Budget groceries are products that supermarkets present as the lowest-priced alternative to A-brands. Since November 2024, these products have become 5% cheaper on average. Of the 118 budget products surveyed, 81 were cheaper than a year earlier.

For A-brands, the picture is reversed. Of the 91 A-brand products surveyed, 73 increased in price. On average, prices rose by 4%. Chocolate, coffee, and ground beef stand out in particular. A 300-gram pack of milk chocolate sprinkles became 45% more expensive on average. A 500-gram pack of red-label filter coffee rose by 42%. Consumers paid an average of 33% more for a kilogram of ground beef than a year earlier.

Weather and costs feed through into prices

According to the Consumentenbond, the causes are mainly linked to developments across the supply chain. In coffee-producing countries such as Brazil and Vietnam, unfavorable weather conditions have led to disappointing harvests. In West Africa, the most important region for cocoa production, bad weather and tree diseases are playing a role. Several factors are also affecting beef. Drought, higher livestock transport costs, and smaller cattle herds are pushing up ground beef prices.

Large differences between supermarkets

Not every supermarket handles budget pricing in the same way. Dirk and Nettorama are the cheapest. Their budget groceries are priced an average of 8% below other supermarkets. Aldi and Lidl follow closely, with prices 7% below the average. Poiesz is the most expensive supermarket for budget products. There, prices are on average 32% higher. For products such as fresh milk, rice, and pasta, price differences between supermarkets are small. For coffee, tea, soft drinks, and household items, those differences are much more pronounced.

Consumentenbond.nl