The Facua-Consumers in Action association has denounced before the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) a "parallel strategy of setting identical prices" for olive oil by eight of the main supermarket chains.
As explained in a press conference by the general secretary of Facua, Rubén Sánchez, in November the one-liter bottles of extra virgin olive oil from the white brands of these chains have risen by 9%, after three months with identical or identical prices. with a variation that does not exceed one cent.
The analysis carried out by the association, according to Sánchez, reveals that these are increases that do not respond to price increases at source and reveal a parallel pricing strategy, which is why it requests that the CNMC open an investigation and try to find out. "if there is an agreement between the large distribution chains."
Today, the price of a 1-liter bottle of extra virgin olive oil is "identical" (9.25 euros) in the white brands of Alcampo, Aldi, Carrefour, Dia, Eroski, Hipercor, Lidl and Mercadona, The same thing happens with 3-liter containers, while in 750 ml containers the maximum difference is only 1 cent.
9% more expensive than in September and October, when Dia, Eroski, Hipercor and Mercadona offered it at 8.50 euros, while Alcampo, Aldi, Lidl and Carrefour had it at 8.49 euros.
In the case of the 750 ml bottle of extra virgin, Alcampo and Carrefour sell it this month for 7.59 euros and the other six chains for 7.60 euros. In September and October, they all had it at 7.15 euros.
As for the 3-liter extra virgin container, there is also a coincidence in the own brands of the five chains that offer it: 27.60 euros in Dia, Eroski and Mercadona and 27.59 euros in Aldi and Lidl.
This month the five have practically equaled the price, with a maximum difference of one cent, after in October Dia sold it for 23.40 euros and the rest for 24.99 or 25.00 euros.
The same thing happens with chain brand virgin olive oils. Aldi, Dia, Carrefour, Hipercor, Lidl and Mercadona offer this variety in 1-liter bottles and all six have set the price this month at 8.25 euros.
Likewise, the four supermarkets that also have 3-liter containers of their brands sell them in November at practically identical prices: Aldi and Lidl at 24.59 euros and Dia and Mercadona at 24.60 euros.
