Facua-Consumers in Action examined price variations for virgin and extra virgin olive oil across major supermarkets, revealing sharp differences that suggest speculative pricing at the point of sale. In a notable example, a 1-liter bottle of the same Carbonell extra virgin olive oil was priced at 8.86 euros when purchased directly from a producer and 12.45 euros at Carrefour, a 45% gap for identical product quality. The organization’s findings indicate that some retailers may be capitalizing on market pressure rather than reflecting genuine cost changes. Reuben Sánchez, the general secretary of Facua, spoke at a Seville press conference about this situation, emphasizing that it goes beyond harvest issues and points to opportunistic pricing in stores.
On September 4, the group analyzed 144 virgin and extra virgin olive oil prices offered by eight chains including Alcampo, Carrefour, Dia, Hipercor, Eroski, Mercadona, Aldi, and Lidl, covering 50 different brands. The results were condemned once price disparities were confirmed, with a call for intervention by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs in the final segment of the supply chain. Sánchez argued that the rise in profit margins for olive oil would be illegal given the VAT reduction in December last year, which remains in force through December 31, limiting the ability of any chain member to raise margins while the tax cut applies.
The issue has lingered as a persistent concern in Spain’s pantry landscape, embedded in a broader inflationary cycle that has touched a wide range of foods. Despite olive oil often showing among the steepest price increases, the state’s VAT discount stands at 5%, not zero, as seen with many other products. After twenty-eight consecutive months of year-on-year growth, and as prices surpassed the seven-euro mark, the topic has become a focal point for families, rivaling worries about electricity and natural gas bills from the prior year.
Facua’s report attributes the ongoing price pressure to a poor harvest last year caused by drought. Yet some Facua representatives contend that certain market players may be exploiting the situation to widen profit margins. The study found that the average price for a one-liter bottle of extra virgin oil in plastic containers stands at 9.67 euros, while price gaps between brands and retailers can reach as much as 5.31 euros per liter (68.1%), with Hojiblanca Masterson retailing at 13.10 euros in Carrefour and Sea of Olives offering as low as 7.79 euros to the field. The wide spread underscores significant variation among brands and retailers within the same category.
The survey also highlighted substantial differences among five-liter formats. The average price for a five-liter container of extra virgin oil is 44.35 euros (8.87 euros per liter), with the most expensive brand, Hojiblanca Masters, at 52.49 euros in Carrefour and the cheapest appears in multiple outlets at 33.99 euros per field for certain brands. The span here approaches 54 percent. In the three-liter category, the typical price is 27.10 euros (9.03 euros per liter). The highest tag observed was 34.99 euros for Hojiblanca Masters at field outlets, while the lowest tags came from Coosur and Olizone at Lidl for 22.99 euros. Across virgin varieties, the average price was 23.63 euros, with a peak of 28.99 euros at Hypercor for Coosur Gold Series and a low of 21.59 euros in the field for Carbonell during temporary offers. This pattern suggests a broad, multi-brand pricing landscape that merits closer scrutiny by regulators and consumers alike, with attention to possible price manipulation in the oil market.