Palma and the expensive shopping carts: supermarkets under the microscope

You can talk a lot about Palma - about the beaches, the culture, the weather. But the fact that Palma is now almost ahead in another area is surprising: Palma has the second most expensive supermarkets in Spain. This is according to the annual report of the consumer protection organization Ocu Only Las Palmas on Gran Canaria is ahead of Mallorca's capital. It is followed by Getxo in the Basque Country and - get this - Madrid.

If you stroll through the supermarket shelves, you may already be aware of it: prices are rising. But how bad is it really? According to Ocu, food prices have risen by an average of 2.9 percent increased. That sounds moderate, especially compared to previous years, when prices rose by a whopping 12 percent skyrocketed. But a few articles brought tears to our eyes - for example the Olive oilthe price of which was 76 percent has risen. Orange juice and bananas are no longer bargains either, with price increases of 47 and 39 percent.

Who saves where it hurts the most

But not everything is getting more expensive - at least not everywhere. Carrefour Express increased prices last year by 0.9 percent lowered. Also Lidl and Aldi have recorded small but noticeable price reductions. However, there are of course also supermarkets that are continuing to increase their prices. For example Corte Inglés prices on average by 9.7 percent increased - Hipercor followed with 8.2 percent.

The cheapest supermarkets? There leads Alcampo top the list in 25 Spanish cities. Mercadona is ahead in eight cities, and Consumption secures the top spot in seven cities. But in Palma, you can dig a little deeper into your pockets for the weekly shop.

Consumer advocates demand more relief

After the price increases of recent years, consumer advocates at Ocu have had enough. They are calling for the state to extend the measures already taken, such as the suspended VAT on olive oil, to Fish and meat should be extended. This is well-intentioned, but will it really ease the pain at the supermarket checkout? That remains to be seen.