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INFLATION

Lower food prices to give consumer boost

Hard-pressed Swedish consumers are set to benefit from lower prices for basic food items such as bread and milk in 2009, retailers forecast. The falling Swedish krona could make imported items more expensive however.

World market prices for grains such as wheat have dropped during the autumn. So far the fall has not resulted in lower food prices, but retailers Axfood, Ica and Coop hope that consumers will feel the effects in their pockets in 2009.

“Several factors indicate that there is scope for us to cut some of our prices, but we have not yet seen the effects. We are in the process of negotiating with producers. But there is always a delay and it is a slow process,” said Ingmar Kroon at Axfood to news agency TT.

According to Tomas Svaton at retail sector organization Svensk Dagligvaruhandel, it is always harder to cut prices than to raise them. But he believes that that cuts can be expected in 2009, especially for grains, dairy products and Swedish meat.

“Meat prices are also tied to grain prices as they are linked with animal feed,” said Ingmar Kroon.

Lower oil prices, which affect both transports and the production of many provisions, are also expected to shine through in lower prices.

But the future is not as bright for those buying imported goods. These could in fact rise in price as the Swedish krona has declined in value against the euro during the autumn. Goods imported from EU partner countries, such as chemical products, fruit and vegetables, can become more expensive.

The Swedish Retail Institute (HUI) forecasts that food prices will rise on average by 2 percent in 2009. This represents a significant decline on the 7 percent rise experienced in 2008.

“It is very difficult to issue a forecast due to everything that is happening at the moment and price projections are the hardest of all. But we have developed an estimate and believe that the rate of price rises is set to decline.” said Jessica Lindblom at HUI.

ECONOMY

Spain’s inflation soars to 29-year high

Spanish inflation accelerated in November to its highest level in nearly three decades on the back of rising food and gas prices, official data showed Monday.

black friday spain
Black Friday sales can't disguise the fact for shoppers that life in Spain is getting increasingly expensive. Photo: GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Consumer prices jumped by 5.6 percent, up from a 5.4 percent increase in October, according to preliminary figures from national statistics institute.

That is its fastest pace since September 1992, when the rate was 5.8 percent.

The surge in inflation in the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy was due largely to a spike in food prices, followed by higher gas prices, the statistics office said.

Electricity costs, however, declined slightly after a month-long acceleration, it added.

As in other European Union nations, inflation in Spain has risen since the start of the year after consumer prices declined during most of 2020 due to the economic impact of pandemic lockdowns.

In October, eurozone inflation reached 4.1 percent, well above the European Central Bank’s target of two percent and equal to a high set in July 2008.

But the bank believes eurozone inflation will peak in November and is set to gradually slow next year as supply bottlenecks and the energy crunch ease, board member Isabel Schnabel said earlier this month.

Investors worry central banks will withdraw their stimulus measures sooner than expected to tame inflation.

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