In view of the high inflation, consumers are increasingly shopping at discounters.
An analysis shows that they are not always cheaper.
Kassel – The German population continues to be very concerned about the enormous price increases for food.
When shopping in supermarkets and discounters such as Aldi, Lidl and Co., people therefore pay even more attention to their wallets.
Many consumers are increasingly unsettled by the rapid increase in inflation and want to buy cheaper groceries, especially when it comes to food that is becoming more expensive.
In particular, bargain and promotional prices at discounters promise greater savings compared to supermarket chains such as Rewe and Edeka.
But are the discounters really always the cheaper choice?
An analysis of the price app Smhaggle brings clarity.
+
Everything is getting more expensive: Are discounters really that much cheaper than supermarkets?
© Wolfgang Maria Weber/ Imago
Supermarkets and discounters under scrutiny: Price analysis reveals surprising results
As
WirtschaftsWoche
reports, the price analysis between supermarkets and discounters shows that there are significant price differences between the individual grocers, especially when it comes to promotional prices.
The study finds that, contrary to the expectations of many consumers, the discounters often offer the more expensive prices for the supposedly cheap special offers.
"The discounters are usually not cheaper than the supermarkets when it comes to special offers," says Sven Reuter, founder and head of the Smhaggle operating company My-Valueshopping, according to
WirtschaftsWoche
.
It is surprising that "Lidl in particular is often more expensive than the competition when it comes to promotional prices," says Reuter.
Check discounters like Lidl and Kaufland: Who will lead the cheap squad in 2022?
For the analysis, Reuter's team examined all special offers in 2022 from the largest grocers and compared them with the prices of the products that were advertised as special offers at other retailers at the same time.
According to the study, "Lidl is not always worthwhile": Because, as a direct comparison between Edeka and Lidl shows, "Edeka was on average 2.18 percent cheaper than Lidl" - with the same special offer, according to Reuter.
The distance to Rewe, on the other hand, was smaller.
Kaufland even sold identical promotional items 4.48 percent cheaper than its sister company.
Overall, in 2022 Kaufland had “the most items on offer in its range and the cheapest,” continues price expert Reuter.
Kaufland also surprises with savings tricks where customers get their money back.
As Lidl employees revealed in a ZDF documentary, the Schwarz Group's discounter even uses certain tricks to deceive its customers in order to make more profit.
Saving tips in the supermarket: It's worth buying your own brands
According to WirtschaftsWoche,
the bottom line is
that consumers spend more money in the supermarket
the larger range of brands together.
In addition, according to the consumer center, expensive goods are often placed at eye level, which is why consumers usually choose expensive products.
The consumer advice center therefore advises paying particular attention to price tags.
A shopping list can also reduce spontaneous purchases.
According to the consumer portal Chip
, anyone who buys cheap private labels in the supermarket can save around 34 percent on average .
A recent study by Stiftung Warentest has shown that own brands are no worse in quality than branded products.
(Vivian Werg)
List of rubrics: © Wolfgang Maria Weber/ Imago
