Consumer association calls for sanctioning of supermarkets engaged in unfair pricing

Spanish consumer organisation OCU has demanded that the Government publish the control data and sanction supermarkets that have not lowered prices in line with the cuts to VAT on basic foods. The consumer organisation made this request after its own survey found that one month after the government move, prices have not fallen in proportion in 26% of foods, both fresh food and packaged.

OCU reports practices such as a “rounding-off” of prices that are unfavourable to the consumer, cheap products disappearing and forcing consumers to purchase more expensive brands, VAT reduction not being applied, and even price increases.

According to OCU data, these situations occur more frequently in the online stores of El Corte Inglés, Alcampo and Carrefour, and to a lesser extent, in Dia and Mercadona.

For this reason, they have demanded that the Government publish the price control data and, if necessary, sanction supermarkets “that have repeatedly failed to apply the 0% VAT reduction to basic foodstuffs and 5% to oils and pastas.”

Nine out of ten Spanish consumers are modifying their food consumption habits to mitigate the rise in inflation, according to another OCU survey.