MADRID – The Spanish consumer association FACUA wasted no time and immediately sent dozens of researchers to check supermarkets in Spain. FACUA did it because from 1 January 2023 the 0% VAT rate has been applied to thousands of items, while oils and pastas have received a 5% VAT reduction. Research shows that not all supermarkets are equally consistent and have not introduced a reduction in VAT or where items have even become more expensive.
facua it therefore has seven supermarkets indicated at the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC). These are ALDI, Lidl, Alcampo, Carrefour, Dia, Eroski and Hipercor. Other supermarkets such as Mercadona and in general Hipercor are provisionally complying with the VAT reduction requirements.
As you know, the Spanish government has reduced the super-low VAT for six months from 4% to 0% for basic foodstuffs such as bread, fruit, vegetables, etc. sunflower oil and pasta . This is part of a new support package to offset the high cost.
According to FACUA, this is the first phase of the non-stop investigation in which the consumer association will continue to monitor supermarkets for months. During this first phase, between 30 December and 3 January, 676 prices were examined in Alcampo, ALDI, Carrefour, Día, Eroski, Lidl, Hipercor and Mercadona. In 50 cases there was no reduction in VAT. For example, 32 prices are the same as at the end of 2022, 11 prices have no total VAT reduction and 7 prices have even increased.
The supermarket chain with the most pricing errors is Día with 16%, followed by Carrefour with 10%, while this is 0% in Mercadona and only 1% in Hipercor. Al Día, 13 of the 80 prices examined were incorrect. In Carrefour, this concerns 11 of the 113 prices surveyed, in Eroski 8 of the 92 prices and Alcampo 6 of the 96 prices surveyed.
In Lidl, this concerns 6 of the 70 prices examined, while it concerns 5 of the 64 prices of ALDI. In Mercadona, 83 prices were examined and no inaccuracies were found. You can HERE see an entire list of searched items by supermarket chain and their prices as of December 30th and January 3rd.
