This newspaper’s monthly survey of the prices of 40 items at two Metro supermarket chains shows an overall reduction in our market basket of more than four percent since late January. The University of Guadalajara’s (UdeG) bimonthly market basket review shows an inflation of some 5.75 percent since January 1.
The total of our market basket survey at Soriana went from 1,247 pesos in January to 1,197 pesos in May and at Wal-Mart from 1,272 pesos in January to 1,221 pesos in May. In contrast, the UdeG survey of 121 items rose from 5,161 pesos at the end of 2009 to 5,336 pesos at the end of April.
{Reg}With the minimum wage per month in Guadalajara pegged at 1,675 pesos, it would take a salary of more than three minimum wages to purchase the basic necessities of life, not including other major expenses such as transportation, rent, medicine or services such as telephone, or cable.
Major price hikes in the UdeG market basket were shown on food groups such as pastas (19%), fresh fruit (18%) vegetables and legumes (11%) spices and condiments (9%) personal hygine and household cleaning items (8%), sugars and chocolates (7%) and cigarettes (6%). Price decreases of about two percent were seen on pork products and chiles.
Of the 121 products in the UdeG’s price survey, 92 saw price increases, and of those, 48 were by more than 5.75 percent. The highest increases in specific products were seen in onions (48% — which in our survey have dropped by some 50 percent from April to May), paper napkins (36%), lentles (31%), oranges (29%), hand and body creams (25%), bars of soap and garlic (24%), table chocolate (23%), green tomatillos (tomates) (22%), red snapper (20%), corn flakes cereal and chayotes (19%), limes (limones) (18%) and limas (16%).
In the Reporter survey, prices on most fruits and vegetables jumped up considerably at both stores since last month, with a few exceptions (tomatoes, potatos and onions). Meat prices were up and down but dog and cat food prices increased substantially since last month.
While Soriana’s prices rose by some 7 pesos and Wal-Mart’s dropped by about 15 pesos since last month, Soriana’s total was still 8.5 pesos cheaper than Wal-Mart’s. Also, Soriana gives points, which do add up. This reporter was able to get a two-percent savings on points gained from his last purchace.
Wal-Mart on the other hand has a host of multi-same-item specials on for this week. In our market basket, we saw Whiskas cat food at 18.60 per can or three cans for 50 pesos — a savings of five pesos — offer good through Monday. Tequila Cazadores Reposado was 240 pesos per liter or two liters for 400 pesos. MAS Color liquid detergent is 33 percent cheaper in the 500 ml enelopes — ten pesos each in Wal-Mart and 9.99 in Soriana — than the one-liter bottle. Palmolive Neutro Balance bar soap was eight pesos in Wal-Mart or 3 for 20 pesos through June 3. Mazola Oil was 33 pesos each or 2 for 60 pesos. Del Fuerte Tomato Puree 210 gram tetra packs were 4.6 pesos or 3 for 10 pesos.
Watch for smaller packaging. One example at Soriana is Valle Verde rice and beans which are now only available in 900 gram packages, but still at 1-kilo package prices. Other tricks are to increase prices on some items and temporarily include a “free” product. Don’t expect the prices to drop when the “free” product is discontinued.
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