The vast majority (75%) of some of the top-selling items in the major supermarket chains had their prices increased ranging from 0.8% to 77.2% last year.
Overall, the aggregate average price increase of a basket of 200 items comprising predominantly daily food and necessities was 12.6%.
This was indicated in the annual supermarket price survey of the Consumer Council on the three supermarket chains of CRVanguard, ParknShop and Wellcome, in a year of inflation and economic downturn.
The annual survey was based on the actual scan data of 200 most commonly carried items in these chains to analyse the price trend of 2008 in comparison to 2007.
Consumers were hard hit in their pocket last year which saw soaring prices in many basic food commodities.
According to the annual survey, all but one of 12 categories recorded an upward price trend ranging from 2.5% to 34.9% in aggregate average.
Staple food and canned food/prepackaged soup, the two categories with probably the most impact on the widest section of consumers, unfortunately, were the worst hit with the highest increase of 34.9% and 21.9% respectively.
But good news to consumers of alcohol. Alcoholic drinks was the only single category that reversed the trend by registering a price decrease of 8.3%.
For a more detailed analysis, the categories were broken down into a total of 39 product groups.
The annual survey showed that all but 6 of the product groups recorded price increases of an aggregate average ranging from 0.3% to 36.7%.
Edible oils topped the list with the biggest aggregate average price increase of 36.7%. A corn oil product in this product group rose by a hefty 77.2%.
This was followed closely by the product groups of canned meat (35%) and packaged rice (32.6%).
Other notable increases were recorded in mostly foodstuffs: canned fish (24.3%), instant coffee (19.5%), instant noodles (16.8%), frozen food (13.1%), prepackaged cake (12.9%), cheese (12.2%), milk powder (11.7%), toothpaste (11.6%), yoghurt/yoghurt drinks (11.1%), and biscuit (11.1%).
Among the 5 product groups that went down in price were: wine (-9.7%) and beer (-5.1%). The one group that remained unchanged in price went to: ladies sanitary protection products.
The Consumer Council reserves all its right (including copyright) in respect of CHOICE Magazine and Online CHOICE ( https://echoice.consumer.org.hk/ ).