Faced with inflation that exceeds 12%, the Greek government is setting up this Wednesday the “housewife’s basket”, until March. All major retail chains are required to offer a “food basket” consisting of 51 basic products ranging from flour to pasta, diapers to hygiene and cleaning products, etc. at discounted prices.
“For example, there are these two dairy productsexplains Stratoula Poulelli, the manager of a store, with a special sign saying that they are part of the “housewife’s basket”, their prices are lower than last week, they have gone from 1.65 euros per liter to 1.39 euros. Another product that is part of the “housewife’s basket” is this tomato juice, its price was 0.84 euros, it is now 0.64 euros and it will remain at this “special price” all week “.
With the “food basket”, the Greek government hopes to control the double-digit inflation that has provoked the indignation of Greek consumers. But most customers in this Athens supermarket are skeptical:
_”51 products is not enough, complains an old gentleman. In this store you will find more than 5,000 products. For example, I don’t eat pasta, so what does it matter if pasta is a product in the basket? I don’t think that measure is of any use. It’s just a trick to deceive consumers.”
“Prices were high, now they’ve lowered them a bit, notes a young woman, but they will increase once more next week. I don’t think this will help at all. I don’t understand what the authorities had in mind.”
To be able to identify the products that are in the “housewife’s basket”, there is a special label on the shelves, leaflets and signs. There is also a QR code that consumers can scan with their mobile at the entrance to the store.
Each supermarket chain is free to choose the products to be included in the basket and their prices. The prices announced on Wednesday will remain the same until next week. The products in the basket and their prices will change every week.