Greek consumer union says price‑freeze on supermarket discount codes is ineffective

Apostolos Raitopoulos, president of the Greek Consumers Union, told the programme “Koinonia Ora MEGA” that the government’s price‑freeze on thousands of supermarket product codes is not delivering real savings. He noted that the list of discounted codes has not been made public, and that many of the 1,898 codes cited by the Ministry of Development relate only to beef and pork – 907 for beef and 209 for pork – while dozens of other meat codes are missing from shelves.

Raitopoulos cited data from the Institute of Consumers (INCA) showing a 4.8% rise in processed meats and a 1% increase in fresh meat, poultry, lamb and goat. The Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) reported that annual inflation fell to 4.4% from 5.2% the previous month, but price pressures remain. He also highlighted contradictory statements from the General Director of the Supermarket Union and the Ministry, with the former claiming no agreement on fresh produce, while the latter insisted an agreement covered all products. The union argues that the promised stability for July‑August has not materialised, with significant price hikes observed after 24 June.