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After ten weeks, the price freeze ends and now your Kiwi, Rema and Extra purchases will be more expensive. There has been speculation for quite some time when grocery prices will rise, after Kiwi ignored the price spike that occurs on February 1 each year (when suppliers raise prices for store deliveries).
As usual, Rema and Coops Extra followed Kiwi's example and lowered their prices.
This, among other things, caused some Swedes to go on shopping to Norway.
Now, Kiwi confirms that the price freeze is over, but doesn't say whether Kiwi pushed the big button first, what goods will go up, or by how much.
- We received strong increases from suppliers on February 1, and despite this, we held prices for more than ten weeks. It was the most expensive thing we've ever done. The increase now is still lower than the increases we received from suppliers, says Kristine Arvin, Kiwi's head of communications. Arvin adds that the price increases also apply to Rema and Extra stores.
- There are prices that have now been adjusted after a heavy price war over Easter. We held prices for over ten weeks. In the long term, we cannot sell so many goods at a loss,” he says.
Kiwi also highlights that there are still price locks on 245 products until May 1.
Experts predicted a gradual increase in prices until the summer, and three competing stores are to do it simultaneously. And that's what seems to be happening now.
Kiwi doesn't tell you which goods have gone up in price:
- For competitive reasons, we cannot reveal what and how much has gone up. Some products have gone up in price, while others have gone down. And there are many products that have the same low price. But we are still and will be the cheapest - replies the head of Kiwi.
Only on May 10, from Statistisk sentralbyrå, we will find out how much food prices will increase in April in general.
