Comparing the average prices of shopping baskets purchased during the August 4 study, it turned out that in the “Lidl” retail chain it was 33.34 euros, in “Rimi” – 35.28 euros, in “Maxima” – 35.94 euros, in “Norfa” – 36.67 euros, and in “Iki” – 38.44 euros.
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During the August 4 study, “SeeNext” secret shoppers visited stores of the five largest retail chains in Vilnius and Kaunas – “Iki”, “Lidl”, “Maxima XX”, “Norfa XL”, and “Rimi Hyper”.
A basket of 28 cheapest frequently used products was chosen for shopping. It consisted of products selected from different food categories: dairy, meat, cereal-based, grocery products, fruits, vegetables, and beverages.
Meat products and beverage prices stood out
The results of the study show that dairy products were cheapest in the “Rimi” retail chain – 5.12 euros, and most expensive in the “Norfa” retail chain – 5.64 euros. The price difference between them was 0.52 euros.
The lowest price for meat products was recorded in the “Norfa” retail chain – 13.59 euros. The highest meat product price was most notable in the “Iki” retail chain basket, where it reached 15.45 euros. The difference between the highest and lowest price was 1.85 euros.
Cereal-based products were cheapest in the “Lidl” retail chain – 3.67 euros, and most expensive in the “Rimi” retail chain, where the price of this product group was 3.98 euros. The difference between the highest and lowest price was 0.31 euros.
The lowest price for fruits and vegetables was recorded in the “Lidl” retail chain – 3.41 euros, and the highest in the “Iki” retail chain – 4.47 euros. The difference between the highest and lowest price was 1.06 euros.
The lowest beverage price was noticed in the “Rimi” retail chain – 2.15 euros. The highest price in this product category was found in the “Norfa” retail chain – 3.65 euros. The difference between the highest and lowest price was 1.50 euros.
For the remaining basket products – dark chocolate, white sugar, sunflower oil, and cage-free chicken eggs – the lowest price was recorded in the “Lidl” retail chain – 4.64 euros, and the highest in the “Iki” retail chain – 5.43 euros. The difference between the highest and lowest price was 0.79 euros.
As reported by the secret shopper and market research agency “SeeNext” that conducted the study, before shopping, products are photographed on the shelf, and the purchase receipt is also recorded – product prices are analyzed and compared based on this.
Without a product photo and a purchase receipt record, the shopping is not counted in the analysis. If the specified product cannot be found at the retail location, it is searched for in another store of the same type. If it cannot be found in another store either, an alternative product from the corresponding product group is purchased.
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The shopping basket is composed so that the products in it can be objectively compared – the products have the same characteristics, maximally similar packaging, and the same type of packaging.
This allows the study to compare the cheapest products with the specified characteristics that can be found in all retail chains.
It is emphasized that in individual retail centers there is a possibility to find cheaper products of the same category (but with different characteristics), but they are not purchased and compared in the study.
For example, the study compares sour cream in a container, but possibly in some retail chain there is cheaper (eur/kg) sour cream in a pouch.
Or the study compares packaged processed cheese, but the product price (eur/kg) may be lower when buying weighed processed cheese.
According to “SeeNext”, loyalty or discount cards were not used during the study, and the deposit fee is also not included. Product prices are indicated without discounts and calculated according to the prices stated on the purchase receipt.
Prices of products that had discounts applied were recalculated according to the original product prices recorded on the purchase receipt.
In cases where the price before the discount is not indicated on the purchase receipt but is visible on the price list, the price list price is used in calculations instead of the purchase receipt price.
If the price before the discount is not indicated either on the purchase receipt or on the price list and cannot be determined, the price printed on the purchase receipt and paid for the product is used in calculations. If the regular (non-promotional) price on the price list differs from the price stated on the purchase receipt, a price discrepancy between the price list and the purchase receipt is recorded.
During this study, the basket of 28 cheapest frequently used products consisted of: apples (from 55 mm, 1 kg), bananas (1 kg), potatoes (1 kg), onions (1 kg), beets (1 kg), carrots (1 kg), loaf of bread (300 g), spaghetti pasta (400 g), loose long-grain rice (800 g), loose buckwheat (800 g), wheat flour 812 in a bag (2 kg), cage-free chicken eggs (size M, 10 pcs), sunflower oil (1 l), white sugar (1 kg), dark chocolate (40% cocoa, 100 g), chicken breast fillet (1 kg), cooked chicken sausage (1 kg), fresh broiler chicken (1 kg), minced pork (1 kg), yogurt with at least 3% fat (400 g), kefir in a pouch (2.5% fat, 1 kg), sour cream in a container (30% fat, 400 g), fresh milk in a pouch (2.5% fat, 1 l), curd cheese (9% fat, 180 g), butter (82% fat, 180 g), orange juice (100%, 1 l), still mineral water (1.5 l), non-alcoholic beer without deposit (0.5 l).
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