The phrase of Lita de Lazzari, reference of the League of Housewives, when in the 90s she said: “Walk, lady, walk.” encourage consumers to visit different stores to look for better prices, becomes valid again in the current scenario. This was discovered by a report by the consultancy firm Focus Market There are price differences of up to 50% for the same product, depending on where it is purchased.
“For many families, in a context of price changes in the economy, current spending is higher than income. In other words, shopping in advance and considering the place of purchase can generate savings of up to 50%,” explains Damián . Di Pace, director of Focus Market.
And he adds that “savings in the purchase of consumer goods will in many cases benefit Italy payment of public and private services because of the steady increase they are having due to the correction of relative prices in the economy,” he explained.
The consultancy firm’s survey attempted to answer the question about How much could a typical family save? (consisting of a 35 year old man, a 31 year old woman, a 6 year old son and an 8 year old daughter) purchase the products that make up a Basic Food Basket (CBA) with unit discounts?
The survey was carried out in three large supermarket chains, taking into account the offers and promotions in force from 18 to 24 March. The products analyzed were the same as those measured by INDEC, including both the first and second brands.
One of the savings strategies by families is to buy second-brand products. On average, by purchasing with and without promotions, a family would save up to 18.1% and on average 7.6% on second-brand products, while on first-brand products they would save up to 12.1% and on average 3 ,9%.
Another difference to take into account, according to the report, is the price gap existing in the same products sold in the various supermarkets considered in the survey: in variety rice, for example, the gap between the highest and lowest prices is equal to 36.4%; in lentils it is 41.5%; in the special bite it is 49.9%; in wine 41.2%; and in the medium roast, 27.6%
The report has been prepared taking into account the value of CBA for that typical family. In February this year, this set of groceries reached $322,851.20, an increase of 13.1% from the previous month and 301.1% year-on-year. In March, with the estimate of last month’s inflation that the INDEC will publish this Thursday the 12th, the value of the basket was estimated at 369,018.93 dollars.
“If a family went to supermarket “B” to do their monthly shopping, Carrying products from top brands and without promotions, you would spend $346,439.83. Meanwhile, if you took advantage of promotions or unit discounts, you would spend $325,866.56,” the work reads.
According to Di Pace, “month after month, Argentine families find themselves facing increasingly complex home management. Fixed costs include food and drinks in the basic basket. And in this sense, Argentines must be smart when purchasing, look for prices, take advantage of offers, buy in bulk, resort to discounts, among other things.”
To take into account what is needed to live, this Tuesday the Directorate of Statistics and Censuses of the City of Buenos Aires published the report on poverty lines and consumption baskets, which shows that A family needed $766,146.28 to avoid becoming poor.
Therefore, adaptability in the face of inflation and actively seeking discounts and promotions become imperatives in families. The data shows that, although there are price variations depending on the supermarket and the purchasing method, taking advantage of single promotions can represent significant savings.
This effort to make the budget more efficient is framed context of high inflationwhich despite having been decreasing since December, when it reached a peak of 25.5%, He left his salary behind to a large extent. In the last three months, salaries have fallen by 19.2% according to INDEC and RIPTE (taxable wages of stable workers) data.
March inflation is estimated to remain in double digits. The Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, expects price increases of around 10% and Major consultancies predict between 12.5% and 13%.
While, for April, According to the latest Market Expectations Survey (REM) published by the Central Bank, the price index will continue to be in double digits: 10.8%. In the opinion of the economists who contribute their forecasts to the REM, Only in May would the consumer price index rise to a single digit: 9%.
Source: Clarin
