A few days ago we learned the unfortunate news that food prices are not over yet. Manufacturers have not yet managed to pass all the major input costs onto prices, so they are preparing to do so in the fall. So it can be expected that it will be very expensive again in regular stores, and this is in the season when most of the goods are bought.
People are looking for cheaper alternatives
So it’s no surprise that people are looking for different alternatives to help themselves. At the same time, there are quite a lot of them, and all of them are much more interesting than the stores of foreign owners, who only check the level of their margins and try to constantly increase them.
For example, the shops with the cheapest food, which are now growing like mushrooms, are currently enjoying great popularity. Also, they are becoming more professional and offer a virtually full range that you would buy elsewhere. Obviously at half the price and even less. The disadvantage is the reduced quality of these foods, mainly due to the fact that they are just before the expiration date, or even later. This may not be suitable for everyone.
Another option is to buy at the markets. But here too there are substantial differences. For example, the popular farmers’ markets in larger cities tend to add more weight to your wallet than lighten it. Marketers here call themselves ridiculous prices for ordinary products, which “city folks” willingly pay them for because they feel good about buying something fresh from the countryside.
It is much better to turn to long-term markets, where prices are stable within reasonable limits, because people just come here to buy permanently. We can also find one in Prague, in the famous Hall 22 of the Holešovice market.
You can find absolutely everything here
Although this market has suffered a series of heavy blows, as a result of which several interesting shops have disappeared, the food market continues to hold its own. And if you visit, you will feel like you have stepped back in time.
Here you can buy excellent fruit and vegetables at prices that regular shops will never offer you again. In addition, you will buy from Czech and non-Czech producers, for example, onions from New Zealand. But here you can also buy meat, fish or various specialties from different countries inexpensively. You just have to ask, in the end you will receive everything in the individual stands and have a great shopping experience.
Recently, the Czechs have literally fallen in love with Hall 22 and other similar markets. If the current crisis is helping people learn to buy quality food at fair prices again, then at least it has been helpful.
Photo: Shutterstock
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