'Two-tier' discrepancy in consumer prices in Greece: Discount at wholesale, price hike at the market

In Greece, the 1,898 discounts announced by the Market Control Authority and the data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), showing the final prices paid by consumers, paint a contrasting picture. Even though there have been significant drops in wholesale and supplier prices, not all of these discounts are reflected on the supermarket shelf.

For example, while fresh meat is one of the product groups with the highest discounts from suppliers, ELSTAT data reveals a 1 percent price hike in cheeses, 0.4 percent in personal care products, and 1.6 percent in poultry meat. In contrast, prices are observed to have fallen in some essential spending items such as breakfast cereals, fish, fruits and vegetables, as well as energy and transportation.

This contrast between the figures makes it difficult for consumers to understand the real situation in the market. The lack of a control mechanism that clearly shows to what extent and when the drops in wholesale prices are reflected in retail causes households to feel the cost of living more and more with each passing day.