Buying gazpacho in small jars is pricier than choosing the larger jars, just as a three-liter can of olive oil costs less per liter than three one-liter bottles. Right now, in Mercadona the price per liter of extra virgin olive oil in single bottles is 9.90 euros and 9.85 euros in larger canisters; in Carrefour, the intense olive variety sits at 9.25 euros per bottle and 9.20 euros per canister.
It feels intuitive: when you buy more, the price per unit drops. Legally, merchants must show the price per unit of measure (per kilo, liter, or meter) so shoppers can compare. And every supermarket savings guide encourages doing just that.
To illustrate, the difference between a half-kilogram pack of spaghetti and a full-kilogram pack works out to about 0.29 euros less per kilo. For canned chickpeas, a small jar is nearly twice the price per kilo of a large jar. Guacamole, coffee, pet food, and many other items follow this pattern.
For a comparative table, white-brand products from Mercadona were used because the supermarket holds the largest market share in Spain.
However, one item breaks the pattern in Mercadona, Dia, and Carrefour — three of Spain’s top four chains (Lidl is excluded because it lacks an online food store). The yogurt format in one kilo packaging. Years ago, supermarkets introduced kilo yogurt to the shelves. Today, buying yogurt in the large format costs more per kilo than the individual cups — roughly between 0.32 and 0.33 euros more per kilo.
The same holds for plain, store-brand Greek yogurt at the mentioned chains, but not for the Danone brand product, where the price gap between single-serve cups and the large container remains substantial.
This discrepancy has appeared on social media. A TikTok user asked several months ago, “When you buy the large format, are you really saving money?” The post noted a 0.51-euro-per-kilo difference in Mercadona, wondering whether the savings claim holds true in other supermarkets as well.
Industry sources cited by several Spanish outlets express surprise at the confusion and offer an explanation: packaging costs. The idea is that the Greek yogurt sold in kilo format uses thicker plastic, has a handle, and is designed for refrigeration. Each product must carry its own cost, which can push the larger packaging price above the per-kilo expectation.
In some cases, the same packaging logic applies to other dairy products. In particular, the one-kilogram yogurt bucket uses materials that are easier to recycle and integrate more efficiently into manufacturing lines, contributing to perceived value differences. The standard for single-serving yogurt uses polystyrene, multi-material lids, and paper bands, which complicates recycling and adds cost in different ways. When considering sustainability, the bucket format makes more sense since all components are from the same material and easier to recycle.
Even the white-brand milk follows a similar pattern, with the 1.5-liter plastic container sometimes costing a few cents more than the one-liter brick or the carton packaging — illustrating that packaging decisions influence price beyond simple volume metrics.
While packaging explains part of the price gap, a broader market perspective suggests other motives as well. A dairy packaging expert notes that the Greek yogurt individual cups sell well and are aggressively priced to win the category. The bucket format targets a different consumer, one who purchases yogurt in larger quantities, potentially more athletic, and willing to pay a premium for the convenience or perceived quality. The kilo format remains more common in other European markets, where consumer behavior around yogurt is different and the market structure less crowded with single-serve competition.
In the end, the price dynamics show how marketing strategy intersects with packaging design. The individual cup remains a top seller, while the bulk format serves a niche audience. The overall lesson is that price per unit can be misleading if packaging and marketing goals aren’t considered, and shoppers who compare per-kilo or per-liter costs still need to weigh convenience, usage patterns, and sustainability in their decisions.
Envase… y marketing
When examining the large-format bucket packaging, industry insiders describe a blend of quality cues and production constraints. There is more complexity in this packaging, with thicker walls, integrated handles, and specialized lids. The marketing banner on the packaging can give a sense of higher value, even if the actual product quantity does not align with the perceived cost saving. The specifics of the packaging influence both cost and consumer perception, creating a nuanced price landscape.
Experts explain that the Form, Fill and Seal method dominates the production of individual yogurt cups. Sheets of plastic go into the forming and sealing machines, and the yogurt is inserted and sealed. A demonstration video shows the process clearly, illustrating how the packaging can affect both cost and efficiency on the line.
Videos of kilo-format yogurt production reveal that the package arrives preassembled at the machines. In bucket formats, the lid and container are made from the same material, with printed labels directly on the plastic. This is harder to reproduce with multi-material single-serving packaging, which uses polystyrene for the cup, a multi-material lid, and a paper banner. From a sustainability angle, the bucket format makes more sense because all components are the same material and easier to recycle.
Less frequently, the same price pattern appears with store-brand milk, where the 1.5-liter plastic bottle can be marginally more expensive than the one-liter brick or carton. This nuance reinforces that packaging and portion strategy influence pricing beyond straightforward volume comparisons.
Although the packaging explanation holds, observers suggest other drivers behind the price gaps. Marketing strategies prevail here: the individual Greek yogurt is a bestseller, and supermarkets push that category aggressively. The bucket format targets a different consumer, perhaps a more habitual, family-oriented buyer who tends to buy in bulk and is prepared to pay a premium for ongoing supply. In many markets, the kilo format is more common outside Spain, reflecting broader European consumption patterns. Yet the kilo yogurt segment remains smaller and less competitive than the single-serve market.