Consumer Council released its latest 'Supermarket Price Survey'. In comparison with data from last month, average prices of 26 percent of the surveyed products had been decreased, prices of 43 percent of products had been increased and 30 percent of products recorded no change in price. Survey result also showed that prices of rice remained stable in recent months.
Consumer Council collected prices of about 350 products in its latest 'Supermarket Price Survey' dated 20th February. Prices of about 90 products had been decreased slightly and mostly included rice, cheese, and boxed tissue paper. About 150 products, namely beverages, canned food, infant products, personal hygienic and cleansing products such as shampoo and shower gel, recorded minimal to about 5 percent of price increases. Prices of 105 products recorded no change in price in both last and current surveys.
Survey result showed that prices of rice remained stable. 12 out of the 20 surveyed rice brands in the current survey recorded no change in price, other brands recorded price changes of about 1 percent. The Council also analyzed the percentage of lowest price products available in the 11 fixed choices of supermarkets. Tai Fung supermarket in Taipa recorded the highest percentage of on-shelf lowest price items in which almost 60 percent of over 240 items sold at Taipa Tai Fung recorded the lowest price among all surveyed supermarkets in the current survey. Park'n Shop at R. Areia Preta came next, with 24 percent of its over 200 on-shelf items having the lowest price. 22 percent of the over 250 items sold at Lee Fong supermarket at Almirante Costa Cabral also recorded the lowest price.
Consumer Council reminds consumers that among the various supermarket chain stores surveyed, selling prices were found to vary in different branches in different regions. In this month's survey, price discrepancies were observed mainly in branches of San Miu supermarket in which about half of the surveyed products sold at its R. dos Mercadores branch and Iao Hon Nam Fai branch were found to have different selling prices, price differences ranged from 5 to 10 percent were observed and found mainly in cooking oil, canned food and dairy products. Prices of the same cooking oil brand sold at the two branches differed for 3 to 13 percent; prices of 'Hong Mei Brand Ox Tail Soup/298g' differed for 12.2 percent and other canned food brands recorded price difference of 2 percent. Prices of around 20 products were also found to differ up to 34 percent in different branches of both Royal Supermarket and Park'n Shop.
Consumers are advised to check with the information available on the 'Supermarket Price Information Platform', especially the function of 'Top Ten Price Differences' for the surveyed products. Consumers can also download the 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps to make price comparisons.
The latest 'Supermarket Price Survey' is now available on Consumer Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo), and the 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. The survey is also available free of charge at the offices of Consumer Council, IACM's Iao Hon and S. Domingos Markets, bookstores and libraries. Consumers may also access the resources through WAP channels on their mobile phones. For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
