A lack of competition - Prices are too close for comfort

WHILE nobody is openly suggesting a cartel exists between the leading supermarkets in Ireland, the glaring lack of competition between them is certain to fuel growing suspicions.

According to a National Consumer Agency scrutiny of 58 items in the average shopping basket, there was so little difference in the price of 45 items, it amounted to a lack of competition. Shamefully, the Consumers’ Association of Ireland, the only independent organisation of its kind in the country, is still excluded from the agency by a Government that resents straight talking.

Ranging from Tesco and Dunnes Stores to Superquinn, SuperValu and Centra, the survey concentrated on 13 stores. Interestingly, it found convenient stores like Eurospar, Centra and Spar were 20% more expensive than the main supermarkets.

If this survey were mirrored across the spectrum of shopping it would indeed be a worrying trend.

There’s a compelling case for the Competition Authority, currently investigating pricing, to take meaningful action to stimulate real competition for the benefit of shoppers.