It is now worthwhile to shop before Christmas Eve.
The Christmas goods at the discount chains have fallen in price little by little since November. However, the big price war with super low prices, such as marzipan pigs down to 4 kroner as it has been in previous years, has not taken place this year as last year.
Nevertheless, there have been very low prices for wheat flour, which many people use in baking for Christmas coziness. The price was halved at the low-price chains in early November.
But even though the Christmas price war has not led to people rushing to the shops to get cheap Christmas marzipan pigs, a number of items have plummeted in price – two days before Christmas Eve.
From experience, the prices of many such Christmas items rise sharply on the third day of Christmas, so if you want to buy these items, you should probably do so now!
It is the cheese Edamer from Tine that has fallen the most in price. It is down almost 40 percent compared to what the price was on December 3 this year.
It shows the updated Christmas prices for both Kiwi and Rema 1000, which have posted the prices on their websites. See the full price overview of 21 items further down in the case.
Also read: Now the Christmas candy is cheaper: Significant price reduction of ten days
Several items are falling in price
– When goods go down by 20-40 percent, I say hallelujah! It is in people’s interest, says Rune Nikolaisen, who is behind Gjerrigknark.com, to Nettavisen.
Gräddost has also been reduced in part in just under three weeks – the price has been reduced by 23 percent.
Fjordland rice porridge 970 grams is just over 36 percent cheaper now than at the beginning of the month.
Also read: Alerts solid price-bang on bread and pizza
If we look at Christmas snacks, there is also some price change. The Christmas candy that has the largest price drop is Nidar’s favorite Christmas bag 340 grams, with a 44.5 percent price reduction. Cloetta Christmas foam is down almost 32 percent.
Rema 1000 has not stated the price of Christmas marzipan pig from Nidar (65 grams), but at Kiwi the price has been reduced from 13.90 to 10.90 kroner – a reduction of 21.6 percent.
– Desperate
Nikolaisen has good control over a number of food prices at all times. He pays close attention to the offers that come.
When we present him with the items that stand out the most, of the 21st Christmas items Nettavisen has checked the prices on 3 and 22 December, he reacts as follows:
– Now they are probably desperate to get these items out of the store. There are very good offers, but most people have probably bought what they need already, I think, he says to Nettavisen.
However, he points out that the price drop we are now seeing shows that it can be worthwhile to wait to shop until just before Christmas Eve.
– I do not think the prices will be any lower than they are now – before Christmas at least, he says.
Nikolaisen points out that Christmas goods in all stores are usually reduced in price during Christmas and New Year. If you dare to wait until then – and the chance that it is Christmas goodies and Christmas food again, it can pay off.
Believes the competition works
“Gjerrigknarken” is not impressed with this year’s price war.
– I do not think “wow, fantastic price war this year” in any case, but everything is better than nothing, he says.
– I can not say that there has been any particular Christmas price war. There have been no high prices with shame prices that will attract people to the store. But it does show that the competition works as it should, Nikolaisen continues.
The low-price chains are very similar in price. The 21 items Nettavisen lists the prices in this case, cost exactly the same at Rema and Kiwi. There is not a single penny in difference.
– It seems that the goal is to be equal in price. Nothing “now we are going to surprise people”, he says.
Also read: New figures: Rema largest of the low-price chains – Kiwi loses market share
– Low prices and good access to goods
Kristine Aakvaag Arvin, communications manager at Kiwi, says that the price drop on several Christmas items in recent days is a result of fierce competition between the chains.
– It has been a hectic and busy Christmas shopping in the stores, but we have managed to ensure low prices, good access to goods and safe stores for customers and employees, she says to Nettavisen.
Coop’s discount chain Extra has not posted the prices of Christmas items on its website, as its competitors have done. However, the online newspaper has asked if the chain matches the prices and what they think about the Christmas price war this year.
– Extra closely monitors our competitors and adjusts a large number of prices daily to be at least as cheap as the other chains. The customers, who are also our co-owners, will get the cheapest Christmas shopping with us, says communications manager Harald Kristiansen in Coop Norway.
He says that the tough competition for customers has led to low prices for a number of Christmas items this year.
Food prices have fallen from last year
Arvin in Kiwi says they are happy that they have been able to help give Norwegians cheaper food before Christmas, when both electricity prices and mortgage rates go up.
– Our price pressure over the past year has contributed to the consumer price index for food and non-alcoholic beverages falling for nine months in a row, she says.
Numbers from SSB, which was updated on December 10, shows that the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages is down 3.6 percent from November 2020 to November 2021. They are down 0.1 percent from October to November 2021.
Also read: Highest price increase in 13 years – has not seen the like since the financial crisis
Kristiansen in Coop also highlights the Statistics Norway figures.
– Statistics Norway has repeatedly pointed out that price offers and campaigns in the grocery chains contribute to lower general price growth. The decline is due to tough competition in the market where Extra has been offensive with promotions and offers throughout the year, and which means that consumers have benefited from tax reductions in the form of lower prices, he says.
–
