Price Comparison Supermarkets: Prices for lunch and dinner items vary up to 202% in Fortaleza | Price Compared

Rice, beans, salad, potatoes and a protein. The famous dish made, or simply PF, is always at the mercy of fluctuating ingredient prices.

In March, the Price Comparado Supermercados project, in partnership with the Municipal Department of Protection and Defense of Consumer Rights (Procon Fortaleza), analyzed items that make up Brazilian lunch and dinner and showed that the values ​​of similar goods varied up to 202 % in capital.

The 20 foods researched in 13 supermarkets were selected by THE PEOPLE based on the monthly survey promoted by the entity, carried out between February 27th and March 11th. The complete list contains 100 items sold in 36 establishments, located in different regions of the City.

Check the average prices of supermarket items from January to March 2024

In the month of March, Fugini 300g traditional tomato sauce occupies the top of the ranking of the 20 items with the highest price variation. At Super do Povo Supermercados in the Henrique Jorge neighborhood, it costs R$0.99 and, at Super Lagoa, in the Center, R$2.99. The difference of R$2 represents 202% variation.

Salt also showed a large discrepancy between prices. The item was priced at R$0.89 at Cometa Supermercados in Cidade dos Escritores, and R$2.19 in the Extra neighborhood of Fátima. It is equivalent to R$1.30 away, a variation of 146.1%.

With a difference of 103.9%, English potatoes are cheaper at Nidobox Supermercado, in Passaré, costing R$5.39 per kilo. The highest price was found at Guará Supermercado in Praia de Iracema and at Super Lagoa do Centro, for R$10.99 per kilo. The increase reaches R$5.60.

Select a product and search for prices in the 13 supermarkets analyzed by O POVO and Procon

On the other hand, the smallest variation detected in this analyzed period was in the one-kilo package of Kicaldo carioca beans. The item costs R$7.79 at the Pinheiro de Messejana Supermarket and R$9.79 at the Extra Market in the Fátima neighborhood. There is a R$2 difference, which represents a 25.7% discrepancy.

The second smallest non-conformity was the kilo of whole chilled chicken. It is analyzed as the cheapest product in this category and showed an increase of 26.6% between one market and another.

At GBarbosa in Edson Queiroz the bird costs R$ 10.19, while at Mercado Extra in the Fátima neighborhood the price tag is R$ 12.90. The difference is R$2.71.

In third place in the index of smallest variations is the coriander sauce unit. The cheapest supermarkets are Nidobox Supermercado do Passaré and Super do Povo Supermercados do Henrique Jorge, charging R$1.89. At Centerbox Supermercados do Jangurussu, the item costs R$2.49. The difference is R$0.60 and the variation is 31.7%. (Alexandre Cajazeiras/Data Scientist O POVO)

Compare prices in supermarkets by product or category

GBarbosa Edson Queiroz and Supermercado Pinheiro de Messejana had the lowest prices among the five most expensive items. At the other end, Mercado Extra in the neighborhood of Fátima and Centerbox Supermercados in Jangurussu also presented the highest prices for five items.

In between January and March 2024the average price variation of the 20 products in the 13 supermarkets highlighted in the THE PEOPLE was 3.2%.

Superlagoa recorded the biggest growth in prices, an average difference of 13.7%. On the opposite side, Nidobox Passaré was the supermarket that had a lower average variation among the 20 products, of -5%.

In the month in which Consumer Day is celebrated, celebrated on the 15th, Cláudia Santos, president of the Consumer Protection Committee of the Brazilian Bar Association – Ceará Section (OAB-CE), emphasizes the importance of defending consumer rights consumer.

The pillars of these rights, such as financial education and domestic economics, are also defended by the Comparative Price project.

According to Cláudia, this attention also helps to create new habits and behaviors, promotes the organization of finances, in a conscious and responsible way and, thus, avoids impulse purchases and food waste.

Browse the map and see the list of products by supermarket

“This is why education in conscious consumption is essential, for balance and harmony in the consumption relationship”, explains Cláudia.

Awareness of rights and economic crises always lead consumers to change habits, including researching prices, especially for essential items, such as food and medicines.

Complaints, reinforces the president, are also on the list of new behaviors. At OAB Ceará, through the Consumer Protection Commission, the most recurrent cases are related to essential services, such as electricity and water supply, in addition to health plans.

When shopping, Cláudia advises that consumers keep the advertising inserts, as the company must comply with what was announced or return the difference paid by the consumer, including with a corrected value.

Another important point is to observe whether the price of the product at the checkout is the same as the price displayed on the shelf. “It is the consumer’s right to always get the lowest price. This situation is still common in supermarkets”, he warns.

Finally, it also recommends that the consumer check information such as the product’s expiration date or whether it is a similar item, which can mislead the consumer with misleading advertising.

Tips and consumer rights in supermarkets

The Consumer Protection Code, the CDC, is a set of standards that guarantee consumer rights, disciplining relationships and outlining responsibilities between supplier and end consumer.

Check out some tips prepared by Procon Fortaleza based on the CDC:

1. The consumer has the right to know information relating to quality, specification, composition, taxes and prices, in addition to risks that the products present.
2. Supermarkets must inform prices of products per unit of measurement (kilo, liter, unit, etc.).
3. At the box, go through the promotional products you chose first. This makes it easier to check whether there has been a price reduction announced in the offer.
4. Check out the inserts of promotional products and demand published prices. If there is a discrepancy, the consumer has the right to always pay the lowest amount.
5. Pay attention to billing different values between room temperature and refrigerated foods. The practice is considered abusive, except in snack bars located inside supermarkets.
6. In the absence of change, the supermarket must reduce the value of the product until it provides change to the consumer.

Check out the items that suffered the biggest price changes in 2024

Every month, the Municipal Department of Protection and Defense of Consumer Rights (Procon Fortaleza) analyzes 100 items from 36 supermarkets located in different regions of the capital of Ceará. Since January 2024, through an unprecedented partnership, THE PEOPLE receive the research first hand.

In this first quarter of content, THE PEOPLE detected that Guará Supermercado da Praia de Iracema was the establishment with the highest average variation in product prices, with an increase of 10%, followed by Mercado Extra, with 8.4%, and Supermercado Perto do Campo with 7.6%. %.

At the other end are Pão de Açúcar, with an average variation of -6.4% and Supermercado Brasileiro -2.7%.

Of the 100 foods analyzed, fruit and vegetable items and eggs lead the ranking of highest prices in 2024, with the kilo of pear onions positioned at the top.

The Procon surveys for January were carried out between January 15th and 24th; the February one was between February 1st and 19th; and those in March, from February 27th to March 11th, 2024.

In the 36 supermarkets analyzed, the average price in January was R$6.85, increasing to R$7.46 in February and reaching an average of R$10.27 in March. The variation is 50%.

Check out the 10 products that recorded the biggest reduction in average price between January and March 2024

During this period, it was also possible to detect a drop in prices for other products. Of the 100 items, passion fruit had the biggest average price reduction.

In January, a kilo of fruit cost, on average, R$15.40. In February, the price started to be R$12.59 and, in March, R$8.95. The average variation was -42%.

Check out the 10 products that recorded the biggest reduction in average price between January and March 2024

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