A noticeable decrease in the number of products included in the electronic price watch e-kalathi and variations in prices within the same supermarket chains, the Cyprus Consumers Association records in its latest analysis, dated October 31, 2025.
According to the Association, out of e-kalathi's 478 total product codes, 200 common products were identified between Sklavenitis, Athienitis and Alfa Mega supermarkets — the three chains with the largest number of common products. As noted, this number represents a significant drop from previous months, as joint products fell from 267 in July to just 200 in October.
The Association also observes price differentiation between different stores of the same supermarket, a phenomenon which, it states, has not been recorded before and needs to be investigated.
In addition, the analysis shows that the difference in the total cost of common products between the most expensive and the cheapest supermarket narrowed significantly – from 13% in July to 6% in October. While this may be due to the increased competition brought about by e-kalathi, the Association points out that it remains to be seen whether this decrease is due to a drop in prices in one supermarket, an increase in another or a combination of both.
Finally, there is talk of a low number of products in e-kalathi from supermarkets such as Lidl and Pop Life, which, according to the Association, limits consumer choices.
The Cyprus Consumers' Association states that it will continue to monitor price formation, transparently publishing its findings.
