Price falls for products such as fish, fruit, and frozen foods have continued in October, driving down overall grocery prices in Belgium by 0.7% on average compared to a year earlier, according to data from consumer protection organisation Testachats.
Testachats tracks grocery prices across 3,000 products in Belgium's major supermarkets, including Albert Heijn, Carrefour, Colruyt, Delhaize, Aldi, and Lidl.
The decline in prices marks the fifth month of grocery price deflation, following declines in June (-0.41%), July (-0.63%), August (-0.56%) and September (-0.5%).
Despite the falls, Testachats has warned consumers that price rises are likely to return following price spikes in energy markets. It notes that with inflation over 5% in October, "with a slight delay, this will also have an impact in the supermarket."
"All these successive energy crises seem to be becoming part of our daily lives," said Laura Clays, spokesperson for Testachats. "The best thing you can do as a consumer is to take the time to compare prices."
Prices fell across a range of items, with Testachats singling out carrots (-9%), bananas (-7%), grey shrimps (-10%), and fresh salmon (-7%) as having some of the steepest falls.
Olive oil, whose price rises became a symbol of the cost-of-living squeeze, also fell 7% in October compared to a year earlier after also falling 6% in September. However, overall, its price is still 49% higher than it was five years ago.
