The prices of the shopping trolley in December saw an imperceptible slowdown, to +12.6% from 12.7% in the previous month, reports yesterday’s note from Istat, while those of packaged consumer goods recorded a +8.5% . Values that only partially reflect the real price increases on the supermarket shelf.
2023 began with the entry into force of the new industry price lists, a factor that brings a new wave of price increases, while 2022 ended with a series of double-digit increases. Among everyday foods, for example, the average price of pasta sees +22%, rice +40%, tomato pulp +29%, turkey meat +31% and beef +16%. . Oil, vinegar and seed oil mark a +30%, the price of butter grows by over a third and so on. Other products recorded substantially stable prices: among these dried fruit, bananas and apples.
Families have reacted by reducing the quantities purchased and going shopping at cheap discount stores. Non-essential consumption such as pickled vegetables and mushrooms see -16% of sales volumes, savory snacks lose 20%, frankfurters 14%, frozen fish almost 12%, oranges 9% and baby food cats 7%. Families fight without quarter to try to make ends meet at home and they get some results thanks to promotions. Much easier to choose lower quality products and the private label offer of large-scale distribution. The new year started with another flurry of increases, almost always double-digit, partly staggered between January and February. All increases fueled by expensive energy and raw materials which will remain even at the end of the current economic cycle caused by expensive energy and raw materials.