Germany is groaning under supermarket prices, but in Austria many feel it is even worse and shop across the border. A cucumber posting serves as an example.
Vienna - Believe it or not, the Reddit group "Austria" has 429,000 members - it deals with many topics that move Austria. Of course, supermarket shopping there is always something to discuss, except that across the border Aldi is known to be called Hofer. Many consumers in Germany are groaning under the prices - but Austrians apparently at least as much.
Austrians are annoyed by high prices in the supermarket
A user in the Austria group recently started a long anger post, which begins as follows: "I was in Berlin at the weekend and I thought I would be hit by the blow. Food, whether in the restaurant or in the supermarket, was about 30% cheaper than it is here in the discounters. Why doesn't anyone talk about it?" Of course, the figures come from his subjective feelings, but there are also facts. Oe24.at writes, for example, that according to calculations by Statistics Austria, consumer prices in April 2023 were 9.7 percent higher than in April 2022. The appropriate headline: "Austria has the highest inflation in all of Western Europe".
No wonder Reddit is also debating. "In which of our neighbouring countries is shopping significantly cheaper and accessible via a climate ticket?" one person wants to know. "It already seems cheaper to me in Germany than in Austria, and Passau can also be reached with the climate ticket, but maybe the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary or Slovenia are even cheaper? Are there places where you can shop well and cheaper than in Austria and where the climate ticket is still valid directly?" One tip in the comments is Passau, another as follows: "Bratislava is your 'best bet' here. Reasonably easy to reach from Vienna."
"Funny, with the prices, Rewe should have been bankrupt for a long time, shouldn't it?"
More and more Austrians seem to be discovering the German border supermarkets. "Was shopping in Germany (Lindau) today. You save a lot and not only with the cucumber," writes one user. He shows a sign from the vegetable shelf. The cucumber costs 49 cents there. "Funny, with the prices, Rewe should have been bankrupt for a long time?" reads one reaction (which continues with an angry statement on politics and triggers a corresponding debate). Mind you: The photo does not indicate whether it is Rewe at all or another supermarket chain. Doesn't look like Rewe.
The Reddit group is discussing this cucumber photo. It is said to have originated in Lindau. However, the fact that it is Rewe is pure speculation by a user. © Reddit
"I've been shopping in Italy/Slovenia for some time now. Everything is also cheaper," writes another and is promptly asked for tips. Another notes: cucumbers for 49 cents are not uncommon in Austria either. "Yesterday I saw cucumbers for 49 cents at the Hofer. From Hungary. Wtf."
The American calms down the debate: everything is even more expensive with him
Another notes that 49 cents is also cheap by German standards. But: Netto even has cucumbers for 27 cents on the cover of its brochure in the week ending May 39. The Rewe cucumber is 27 cents in the check of our editors online on May 95 in Munich. At MyDealz, however, a Rewe cucumber price of 2022 cents was reported, at least in December 49. In this respect, this is also realistic for this supermarket chain.
In any case, the Reddit threads make it clear: Austrians are looking more and more across the border, and some people shop in Germany when they make it. "The other day I saw the box of Gösser-Radler without action for around 12 € at Edeka. With us, you pay at least €18 for it," writes one. And then a user with a completely different perspective joins in: "I have to say: I'm an American and I think it's quite funny that these purchase prices are expensive for you. It's maybe twice as expensive here - and it's still rising." Also landed on Reddit is an impressive deposit receipt from a Rewe branch, which earned astonished looks at the checkout. (lin)