2023-05-08 12:48:37
In this context, many Belgians decide to do their shopping abroad, such as in France. To check if it was really interesting, Testachats compared the prices of 162 products in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It shows that although savings of 9% can be achieved on average in France, certain products remain less expensive in Belgium, in particular entry-level products and fresh products.
Record inflation
Prices on supermarket shelves have soared in recent months. According to the Testachats basket, inflation exceeds 20% for the month of April. Belgium is one of the leading countries with the highest inflation. In this context, some people prefer to shop abroad. To check if it was really more interesting, Testachats put together a basket of 162 basic products and compared their average prices in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
9% savings on average on your shopping in France
For those who live on the French border or who take advantage of the holidays or a long weekend to go to France, it might be interesting to bring back certain products. On average, Testachats has calculated that you can save 9% on your weekly basket, but that can go up to 19% if you buy international brands. The most significant difference concerns cereal products as well as dairy products (34%). It is also best to go to France for preserves and other food products. For products that have a long shelf life like drinks, it can be worth packing your suitcase: you can save an average of 13% on non-alcoholic drinks, but this saving climbs to 64% on average for a bottle of Evian 1.5L.
International brands more advantageous with our neighbors
On average, we pay more for international brands in Belgium than in other countries. With one exception: they are even more expensive in the Netherlands. International brand cleaning and hygiene products are the cheapest in Germany. Beer and alcoholic beverages are the cheapest in Luxembourg (-27%).
Some cheaper products in Belgium
“In general, France is cheaper out of the 162 products we analyzed compared to Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. But, not all your shopping is good to do abroad because we remain competitive on a wide range of products, in particular entry-level products which are 7% cheaper than in France” explains Julie Frère, word of Testachats. Some private label products are also cheaper, as well as fresh products such as fruit and vegetables (16% cheaper than in France), fish (11%), and meat (8% cheaper than in France 38% cheaper than in Germany). For groceries, olive oil, sunflower oil or even spread are cheaper here, and the difference with France for groceries in general is very low (1%) .
Continue to compare
Testachats recommends turning to distributor brands which are on average 51% cheaper than (inter)national brands, for equivalent quality. The saving achievable is roughly equivalent to a free 1+1 promotion of a well-known (inter)national brand. The organization also advises comparing supermarkets with each other, and always comparing the price per unit, to avoid false maxi-packs or shrinkflation.
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