A number of brand manufacturers have raised their prices for the new year. Beverages, pasta, chocolate, chips and cheese are affected. Supermarkets do not accept these price increases and throw the products off the shelves. FOCUS online says which brands are affected and what exactly changes for customers.
Trade and industry have been fighting over prices in supermarkets since autumn. The high inflation, increased production and transport costs, but also the rethinking of consumers make for a tense situation.
The prices of popular foods such as milk, bread, mineral water and butter rose more in 2022 than they have in decades. But consumers also have to dig deeper into their pockets for soft drinks or snacks. Compared to the previous year, prices rose by up to 30 percent in many cases. In the case of milk products such as quark and yoghurt, the average price increase is even 50 percent.
And in 2023 the price spiral is expected to continue. Many brand manufacturers already want to raise prices in the first quarter of the new year. According to them, production costs have risen sharply. Companies have to spend more money on personnel, energy, packaging, transport, storage and raw materials. They pass on the increased expenses directly to the customers.
The dealers see it differently. According to Rewe or Edeka, many demands are unfounded. Because the expectations are significantly higher than the actual cost increase.
For Rewe, for example, some price expectations are completely exaggerated. The company has price increases of one billion euros on the table for early 2023, said Rewe boss Lionel Souque. The retail giant will not participate.
“However, the supply of our markets is still ensured. We can offer our customers many equivalent alternatives from other manufacturers or from our inexpensive range of private labels,” emphasized an Edeka spokesman last October to FOCUS online.
Nevertheless, the price war has consequences for customers. Because it is becoming increasingly difficult for households to find cheap branded products in the supermarket. If products fly out of the branches, the range is replaced by prominent competitors and private labels.
But it is precisely for these products that there are fewer special offers because there is a lack of competition, manufacturers and brands. Consumers will find significantly fewer special offers. To make matters worse, own brands are usually not offered in the campaign.
When Pepsi drinks flew off the shelves at Edeka in 2021, the special offers for soft drinks were also drastically reduced. Within three months, there was only a campaign period of three weeks for soft drinks. Two years earlier – this is shown by a prospectus analysis by FOCUS online – there were offers for all cola products in the same period of three months over a whopping eight campaign weeks.
At the same time, consumers have to spend a lot of time searching for their favorite brands. This is also in the money.
There is a small ray of hope. Delistings and delivery stops are a means of pressure. Only in exceptional cases do they last for several months. For dealers and manufacturers, this usually results in a drop in sales.
According to information from FOCUS online, there are currently condition negotiations with 20 well-loved manufacturers. In its current issue, the “Lebensmittel Zeitung” speaks of over 150 products and gives specific examples. Insiders said there were far more products.
For example, Pepsi stopped delivering to all Edeka branches. The supermarket giant speaks of a “unilateral” measure. Affected are soft drinks (“Pepsi Cola”, “Mirinda Orange”, “7Up” and “Schwip Schwap”), snacks (“Lay’s”), tea and iced tea (“Lipton”).
Manufacturers Beiersdorf and SC Johnson with the brands “Nivea”, “Hidrofugal”, “Eucerin”, “Glade”, “Null-Null”, “WC Ente” and “Pronto” have also imposed a unilateral delivery stop for Edeka branches. There are apparently also problems with brands such as “Brandt”, “Schogetten” and the fruit spread “Glück”.
According to research by FOCUS online, there are far more brands that are also missing from Aldi, Lidl and Rewe stores.
In the current expensive phase, it is becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to shop cheaply. However, there are methods that we will list here.
Although large chains such as Rewe, Kaufland, Edeka, Lidl or Aldi try to lure customers into the branches with offers, they have to calculate with higher prices.
In the past three months alone, six large supermarket chains have raised the prices for almost 300 products.
FOCUS Online advises: Look more closely at the weekly brochures of the supermarkets for offers, use apps, vouchers and also no-name brands to get the greatest savings potential.
Prospectuses are mailed out weekly, often between Thursday and Saturday. In some regions, the magazines can be found in your local city or weekly newspaper. Be sure to remove any “No Ads Please” stickers from the mailbox.
It is more practical to leaf through the brochures online: FOCUS current brochures
If the price of groceries, for example, does not appear to have changed, consumers should take a closer look at the packaging when shopping.
FOCUS Current brochures
Manufacturers are increasingly adjusting the quantities in packaging. In so-called “shrinkflation”, manufacturers shrink the content or degrade the product quality in order to introduce a hidden price adjustment.
This is not a new phenomenon. However, according to the consumer centers in Hamburg and Hesse, complaints about this have increased in recent months. It is particularly perfidious when the size and presentation of the product packaging remain unchanged.
So many consumers don’t notice anything at first. But the pack contains fewer grams or goods than before – for example fewer biscuits, tea bags or dishwashing tabs.
When shopping, you should therefore pay attention to details – if you regularly buy certain products, you should pay attention to the quantities and the exact list of ingredients on the packaging.
It is often worth comparing the basic price of products from different manufacturers – i.e. the price per kilogram or liter. This makes it easier to identify expensive packs with little content. And ultimately save with cheaper offers.
Supermarket prices are skyrocketing, but furniture, clothing, shoes and other consumer goods are also becoming more expensive. As a retail expert, I know the tricks of the trade and tell you how you can save money for you and your family every month when shopping. Would you like to talk to me about your savings tips and savings tricks? Did you notice anything while shopping? Then send an e-mail to Konstantinos.mitsis@burda-forward.de with your name and telephone number
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