With inflation in Greece currently running at an overall 12 per cent, according to figures from ELSTAT for September, the government has been taking steps to relieve the pressure on the average consumer. Measures have already been taken to compensate for rises in the cost of electricity and fuel, and this week saw the introduction of the “Household Basket” scheme, which encourages the large supermarket chains to make basic products available at affordable prices.
The scheme, devised by the ministry of Development and Investments, is compulsory for all supermarket chains with an annual turnover of over 90 million euros. Each week they must choose at least 50 products corresponding to a family’s basic necessities, from a list agreed between the supermarkets and the government, which they will make available at reasonable prices. The products will be given special signage on the supermarket shelves and the list must be fixed for a week, before it can be changed. Failure to submit a list will result in the supermarket chain being fined 5,000 euros for each infraction.
The ministry’s e-consumer website e-katanalotis.gov.gr has been set up to provide useful information for Greek consumers. The Household Basket page e-katanalotis.gov.gr/householdBasket carries a list of the participating supermarket chains, and clicking on the logo for each one brings up the supermarket’s list for the current week. Consumers can also search for a specific product on the Products page and get a list of the prices at the different supermarkets. There is also a Fuel page, where consumers can find current prices for different fuel types at petrol stations around the country.
The basic list of products in the Household Basket is as follows:
Latest developments
With less than a week having passed since the inauguration of the Household Basket, the ministry of Development and Investments has been fine-tuning the details of the scheme to ensure better access to consumers, according to OT.gr. Complaints of difficulty identifying the listed products have resulted in the supermarket chains being requested to provide labels of adequate size and visibility for each product, and to post a list of all the products currently included in the basket at the entrance to their stores. Similar measures are being required of those running e-shops.
A hoped-for effect of the scheme in encouraging price competition between the supermarket chains is already being seen. OT.gr reported on Saturday that the Sklavenitis and AB Vasilopoulous chains had reduced the prices of a total of 40 items in their two lists on e-katanalotis.gov.gr, by an average of 25 per cent.