In January of this year, reduction Value Added Tax (VAT) for certain products such as removing the tax (from 4% to 0%) on pasta or oil (10% to 5%) and basic foodstuffs such as bread, milk, cheese or eggs. Measures adopted to limit the impact of inflation on the pockets of Spanish households forgot the fishThe decision was criticized from the first minute in the sea section. At that time, more than seven months ago, he warned not to think that it would affect his consumption, and it did, as well as confirming that the opportunity to promote healthy eating among the public was wasted. The National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) confirmed the same in the ‘Study on the translation of VAT reduction in the food sector’. fell 9.1% in January alone. It’s a percentage to consider as the basket as a whole has dropped just 1.8%.
Special, The report lists fish as follows: the third most affected food category. In the published document, it was stated that “the consumption of most of the basic foods was reduced, the most decreased was oil, fish and flour and semolina categories”. While the decrease in oil was 9.9 percent, it increased to 10 percent in flour and semolina.
Likewise, Competition recognizes that there are “significant differences” in the food families consumers buy in the first months of 2023, with more staples such as bread or rice compared to “more expensive” products. ”- like meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. “Previous changes in consumer purchasing habits driven by the rise in food prices have contributed to mitigating the impact of higher food prices on household spending,” says CNMC. In other words, in detail, the general public chose to buy less food or cheaper food to save your budget and avoid cost overruns.
With respect to surfaces, with respect to physical facilities, traditional venues Among these, specialized businesses such as greengrocers, butchers and fishermen are the least preferred (12.9%) by consumers. These areas were followed by hypermarkets (13.2%), as well as discount stores (15.4%), supermarkets and self-service stores (47.5%). The remaining percentage depends on the online channel, which only accounts for 2.4% of the share.
An example to follow
The negative development in food prices, as well as Spain, many countries are taking measures to contain the rise in prices. In France, for example, the “anti-inflation quarter”, an agreement with major distribution chains to make certain food and non-food products more accessible, was launched in March 2023. But the example that the Spanish shipping industry applauded most strongly was the temporary abolition of VAT in Portugal. The Portuguese nation has significantly cheapened bread, grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat and fish.