Prices are climbing and families feel the squeeze. With rising costs, households are changing how they shop to manage the budget. Shopping trips are shorter, fewer luxury items are bought, and households are trading down to save money. Some are choosing cheaper cuts or fewer ready meals, which keeps the overall bill from rising as much even if the price tag on individual items remains high.
New figures from the Food Consumption Panel, prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, show a clear pattern: in Alicante province and across the Valencian Community, the average cost per person for food rose by 11.4%. Yet, the total quantity bought decreased by 4.8% in the same period.
Looking at February 2022, the state-wide average per person spending on food stood at 115.59 euros. In the same month of the current year, this figure climbed to 128.75 euros. Meanwhile, annual per-person consumption dropped from 45.49 kilos to 43.30 kilos, according to the same sources.
The detailed findings leave little doubt. The most expensive items are pulling down purchasing power, even as families adjust principles to cope. Organic products, which typically cost more, saw a 22.6% decline over this period. Retailers, facing pressure, have to balance promoting sustainable options with offering more affordable choices to prevent waste.
Uncontrollable inflation in Europe reduces Alicante’s demand for ecological products
Another major decrease occurred in fish purchases, down 13.2% overall, whether fresh or frozen. There are differences within the category: anchovy, which remains affordable for some shoppers, shows resilience, while popular varieties like sole or hake dropped significantly. Shrimp purchases also fell sharply, mirroring broader trends in seafood consumption.
Similarly, sausages and other cold meats faced declines. Iberian ham purchases fell by 13.9%, while regular smoked ham rose slightly in the same period as consumers altered their buying patterns to stretch budgets.
From fresh to processed
Shoppers are stocking less fresh fruit and vegetables, with declines of 9.7% and 12.9% respectively when measured in kilos. Despite the drop in fresh purchases, the share of the food budget spent on vegetables remains around 4% due to inflation.
Conversely, meat consumption increased. Residents added roughly 3.6 kilos per person in February, an uptick of about 7.7%. This includes surges in chicken (+19.6%) and pork (+9.5%), while demand for lamb fell by 25.5% due to higher prices. Ready-made and convenience foods also benefited, with frozen ready meals rising 16.5% and overall ready-to-eat options increasing by 9.5% in a single year.
Fernando Moner, spokesperson for the Valencia Consumers and Users Association, notes that the data reflect the situation households have faced after a year of rising prices and the resulting loss of purchasing power for many families. The organization emphasizes the need to strengthen core protections, such as VAT relief on essential items, and even broadening support to categories like meat and fish that carry more weight in the typical shopping cart.
Moner adds that tackling the root causes is crucial: stabilizing prices and reducing the cost of essential items as much as possible. He also cautions that food prices are unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels any time soon.
It should be remembered that, despite some moderation in recent months, the year-over-year increase in food prices remains around 13% according to the latest INE data, and it is far from returning to previous levels. The overall cost pressures still weigh heavily on household budgets.