Rising prices for energy and agricultural products are making food more expensive across Europe. Statistics show that the Czech Republic is faster than its neighbors. Neighboring Poland has also introduced anti-inflationary measures on food to protect consumers. Therefore, the number of Czechs who go shopping with their neighbors is increasing. The following overview shows what and how much they buy abroad.
People in the Czech Republic bought 20.3% more food in July than in the same period last year, according to Eurostat data from the European Statistics Office. Compared to neighboring countries, Czech price growth is clearly the best. Second is Slovakia with 19.9% and third is Germany with 14.5%. The Austrians are in the best position, with a year-on-year increase in food prices in the Alpine country of just 12.1%.
Consumer group dTest has created model purchases that show July’s onslaught on household budgets in a concrete exampleShe assembled it from chicken breast fillets, canola oil, butter, eggs, potatoes, bread, whole milk, plain flour, and a half-pound spaghetti package.
With the exception of rapeseed oil, the goods offered in the Czech Republic were the least expensive. “For potatoes and bread, it is pleasing that the Czech product at least he has the second lowest price tag,” said the authors of the analysis.
The price of the item purchased – Note: Prices have been recalculated according to the exchange rates of 11 July 2022: 1 Euro = 24.59 CZK, 1 Zloty = 5.126 CZK.
Total price of model purchase – Note: The basic food VAT rate at the time of purchase was 15% in the Czech Republic, 7% in Germany, 10% in Austria and Slovakia, and 0% in Poland. Prices have been recalculated according to the exchange rates of 11 July 2022: 1 Euro = 24.59 CZK, 1 Zloty = 5.126 CZK. Model purchases include: 600g chicken breast, 1L rapeseed oil, 250g butter, 10 M balls, 2kg potatoes, 1kg bread, 1L whole milk, 1kg cake flour, 500g spaghetti. Recalculated from profit.
Overall, buying in the Czech Republic was slightly cheaper than in Austria and Germany, costing 489 crowns. It was just over 40 kroner behind Austria and less than 2 kroner behind Germany. Eurostat’s data from last year showed that both countries have significantly higher average incomes. The Czech Republic has less than her 28,000 net monthly crowns, while in Austria and Germany he more than doubles.
Based on these figures, we can also calculate how many models can be purchased per month in the monitored country. The German did his best, and his net salary was enough for 136 purchases. The Czech can buy him 57 times a month, while the Slovak can buy him only 45 times.
Czechs’ Favorite Shopping Destination: Poland
By far the cheapest was in Poland, where the purchase of the model was 156 crowns cheaper than in the Czech Republic. Prices for meat, oil and edamame were cheap.
“The difference between Poland and all other prices is due, among other things, to the fact that Poland still had a zero VAT rate on food at the time of purchase,” explained dTest. The relief for some foodstuffs was originally valid for six months from 1 February this year, but the Polish government has extended it until the end of the year. Since then, the Polish store has had more and more Czech customers.
Polish business network Biedronka, favored by Czechs according to feedback on social networks, made its loyalty application available to international users over a year ago. Chain spokesperson Alexandra Tabaczynska told Aktuálně.cz:
According to her, the number of Czech customers increased significantly from March to June and July of this year. I mainly buy butter, processed cheese and cottage cheese. “Meat and fish such as chicken, ham, pork necks and flanks are also very popular with Czech customers,” she added.
In the past, Czechs used to go shopping in droves with their neighbors. Social In one of his most populated groups on his network Facebook, he’s been sharing shopping tips and advice with his neighbors since January 2021. In this group he has over 80,000 members and tens of thousands of posts. “Yogurt, milk, kefir milk. Especially cheese is cheap and very tasty. Tobacco is 500 crowns cheaper for him per carton.” she named She is one of the users who travels to Poland most often.
Facebook debaters have no problem with the quality of Polish products. This has been a hot topic in recent years in relation to Czechs adding salt to chicken and food. “I have been going to Poland for 30 years he has never been disappointed with a purchase,” said another user.
Even dTest didn’t mean less quality. “We also noticed the declared composition this time, but found only minor differences,” said the authors of the analysis.
For example, the surrounding provinces sold the cheapest spaghetti made with semolina, the Italian durum wheat. In the Czech Republic they were made from soft wheat.
“All other foods were comparable from a quality standpoint. Butter declared 82 percent fat, and Edam cheese was in all cases a fatter product containing at least 40 percent fat on dry matter. The chicken breast fillet, rapeseed oil, plain flour, side dish early potatoes and wheat-rye consumer bread were of comparable quality according to the information available on the packaging.” dTest listed.
Higher taxes, less competition
Food in Poland is cheap, mainly because of the fierce competition, according to Natland analyst Jizzy Bartona. “Poland is a market four times larger than hers and has many more competitors regionally. Historically, the agricultural sector has held a much higher share of the economy than here. Agricultural production is not concentrated in a few large factories,” analysts said. According to him, price growth is somewhat lower in Poland.
Cyrrus analyst Vít Hradil pointed out that different tax regimes in different countries are also reflected in the final price for customers. “And the higher the taxes, the higher the prices,” he said. For example, his VAT on food under normal circumstances, i.e. without anti-inflation measures, is 5% in Poland, 7% in Germany, 10% in Austria and Slovakia, 15% in the Czech Republic.
