Life gets more expensive. And you notice that now when you go to the supermarket. Vegetable oil, fish, meat and dairy are rising sharply in price. As a result, Belgians are more aware and buy more private labels. Because by shopping smart you can mitigate the impact of inflation on your till receipt. We did the test and calculated how much you pay more today if you put stew with fries on the table for your family today, compared to a year ago.
Inflation means that life gradually becomes more expensive. General inflation is now 9.65%. This is reported by the statistical office Statbel. This is the highest level since October 1982. The inflation we are currently experiencing is a result of the exploded demand for commodities such as oil and gas, since the economy is running at full speed again after corona. But as if that were not enough, the war in Ukraine made raw materials extra scarce.
Basic products more expensive
In other words, thanks to inflation, your money loses value. So you need more euros to buy the same products. Where previously especially energy prices were swinging, now food is also in the crosshairs. Prices for food, including alcohol, rose by 8.44% this month, compared to 6.32% last month. Inflation for food was only 0.47% in November 2021.
Bread and grains have an inflation rate of 10.6%. About 20 million tons of grain are currently stored in Ukraine. But that grain is not going away because the Russians are blocking the Black Sea. Ukraine is also one of the largest producers of sunflower oil in the world. This is reflected in the inflation for vegetable oils. This month it is 20.0%, in November it was still 3.6%.
Striking: mustard also rises in price considerably. Mustard seeds come from Canada and Ukraine. In addition to the war in Ukraine, part of the Canadian harvest also failed due to the drought. And meat inflation peaked at 8.3% this month. Yet they do not notice any difference in demand at Delhaize. “Meat consumption has declined in recent years in favor of meat substitutes. However, today we do not see a significant decrease in the demand for meat compared to before the crisis.
Review: Why does inflation keep rising? Paul D’Hoore explains
Belgians buy more consciously
As a result of rising prices, Belgians are buying more consciously. Delhaize has also noticed this: “Purchasing behavior has been changing, we have seen this since January, when the first signs of higher inflation arrived. The share of private labels in the Belgian basket rose to 55%, compared to about 50% before the crisis. Consumers are also chasing more promotions, for example, there is a 10% increase in volume with the 1+1 promotions.”
However, the demand for salmon and cod has decreased significantly at Delhaize. A direct consequence of the higher prices, because according to Statbel, inflation for fresh fish is now 11.3% compared to -0.4% in November. “Not only are the prices rising, but the supply is also shrinking. Some fishing boats decide not to sail anymore because of the high fuel prices,” it sounds.
The private labels of most department stores remain stable in price. And alcohol (-2.9%) and clothing (-1.1%) also fell slightly. So if you shop smart and look out for promotions, you’ll feel less inflation in your wallet. “We notice that the customer is really looking for promotions, which is an efficient way to do budget management,” says Carrefour.
We did the stew test: that’s how much the classic rises in price
What could be more Belgian than stew with fries? The classic is by no means a light meal. But the price increase of 10.68% compared to a year ago makes it a very heavy chunk to digest. That is slightly more than the general inflation for food of 8.44%.
Het Laatste Nieuws did its shopping in a medium-sized Flemish supermarket. Everything on our list became a lot more expensive. Except for 4 bottles of Sint Bernardus Abt 12, which fell slightly in price. By far the strongest climber is a jar of mustard, which is 26% more expensive than a year ago. Also a brown bread needed to bind your stew is rising sharply in price: 2.7 euros today, instead of 2.30 euros a year ago.
The meat itself will be considerably more expensive at 17.5 euros for 2.5 kg compared to 15.9 euros last year. Today you pay 7.99 euros for a 2-liter package of cooking oil, a year ago only 6.95 euros. Your fries themselves will also become more expensive. A kilo of BelViva frozen chips rose in price by no less than 27%.
How can you save more despite inflation? “Start by asking yourself these questions”, advises budget expert (+)
“If you buy smarter, your lifespan will increase less”: our expert explains how you can counteract the high inflation of 9.6% (+)
3.50 euros (!) for a Werchter lager? “I’ve been using this trick for a few years now to save money during the festival” (+)
Also see: Inflation rises to 9.65 percent
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