The record rain when the potatoes were to be harvested last year is having an impact. The harvest was poor and we're seeing the results now.
Many people are contacting us about potatoes. When the price goes from 15 kronor per kilo to 20-25 kronor in a year - people notice, says Ulf Mazur, CEO of Matpriskollen.
The price increases for cucumbers can also be linked to the weather and smaller harvests in the spring.
In July, food prices increased by a total of 0.2 percent, according to Matpriskollen's review of 44,000 items. It may not seem like much, but the increase is from an already high level. Compared to January 2022, food prices are 24 percent higher.
Hole in the wallet
It has made a big hole in people's wallets, you have to spend 25 percent more on food and not everyone can afford that, says Ulf Mazur.
A certain price increase is noted for fruit in July, but compared to last year, there is a total price decrease of 5 percent. According to Matpriskollen, the good winter harvests around the Mediterranean may have contributed to the price pressure.
The high global market prices for cocoa are still affecting the chocolate assortment, but most of all on baking chocolate. In July, it increased by almost 16 percent in price.
Fish and shellfish, on the other hand, have decreased slightly in price in July, minus 0.4 percent. Yet, the fruits of the sea are likely perceived by many consumers as painfully expensive, as for example salmon is 36 percent more expensive and cod is 51 percent more expensive compared to January 2022, according to Matpriskollen.
The chains' strategy
When consumers become more price-aware, Ulf Mazur sees a clear strategy among the major food chains: The price increase for the chains' own brands is being held back compared to the rest of the assortment.
In one year, food prices have risen by a total of 2.5 percent, but the chains' own brands have only increased by 1.8 percent.
Now that consumers are very price-sensitive, it's really the right time to lure them over with lower prices on the own-brand products, he says.
