Moderate Inflation and Mixed Trends in July 2025 Supermarket Prices

Greece experienced modest inflation across supermarket chains in July 2025, according to the latest data from the Research Institute of Retail Consumer Goods (IELKA). Year-on-year inflation for the month reached 1.84%, compared to 1.78% in June. Month-to-month, however, there was a slight decrease of 0.24%.

For the rolling 12-month period from July 2024 to June 2025, price growth stood at just 0.56%, reflecting overall mild inflationary pressure in the retail food sector.

Key Factors Behind the Price Trends

IELKA attributes the soft inflationary environment in supermarkets primarily to international price increases for key raw materials such as cocoa, meat, and coffee. In the first seven months of 2025, overall inflation in supermarkets was recorded at 1.23%, indicating a relatively stable pricing landscape for consumers.

Several contributing factors are cited for this price stability:

• Decelerating Inflation: Supermarkets have benefited from large-scale operations, economies of scale, and the widespread availability of private-label products, helping them contain price increases.
• Government Regulation: Institutional interventions and a newly implemented code of conduct for promotional activities since March have also played a role in price management.
• Promotions and Discounts: Retailers have increased the number and depth of promotional offers, which continue to affect average consumer prices.
• High Inventory Turnover: Large stores with faster-moving inventory cycles are able to adjust more rapidly to cost changes.
• Growth of Private Labels: The growing presence of private-label products across major supermarket chains has put downward pressure on prices.

Categories with Price Decreases

Significant price reductions compared to July 2024 were observed in the following categories:

• Cleaning products and detergents: -6.85%
• Pantry goods: -5.63%
• Pet food and supplies: -3.37%
• Personal hygiene and paper products: -2.15%
• Disposable and household items: -1.24%

These declines are largely attributed to market normalization and producer price reductions, including a noted drop in olive oil prices.

Categories with Price Increases

Conversely, several categories saw notable price hikes:

• Fresh meat: +9.63%
• Biscuits, chocolates, and sweets: +9.39%
• Breakfast items and beverages: +8.40%
• Fresh fruits and vegetables: +5.29%
• Fresh fish and seafood: +4.49%

The spike in fresh meat prices is largely due to a reduction in livestock in 2024 following widespread animal diseases and a rise in international prices for imported meats, particularly beef and pork—both heavily relied upon by the Greek market.

Rising global prices of cocoa and coffee contributed to the increases seen in sweets, breakfast items, and beverages. Meanwhile, the uptick in fruit and vegetable prices has been linked to lower spring temperatures in 2025, which delayed seasonal crop production compared to the previous year, when early harvests pushed prices down.

Source: Tovima.com