Consumers switch brands of milk, oil, rice and beans in supermarkets

With inflation on the rise, 67% of consumers replaced brands of products commonly consumed, according to a survey by Abras (Brazilian Association of Supermarkets), with emphasis on basic food items. Long-life milk was the product with the highest percentage of exchange (71%), followed by soybean oil (56%), rice (43%), beans (42%) and sugar (33%).

Beef was mostly exchanged for chicken (36%), followed by egg (22%), pork (19%) and fish (10%). The exchange for other products, such as sausage and sausage, was 7%.

The exchanges take place in a context of high prices, with a survey by Fipe (Fundação Instituto de Pesquisas Econômicas) showing that the food sector had an accumulated increase of 19.4% in the last 12 months.

In July, long-life milk was the product with the greatest price change compared to the previous month, up 25.46%. “We know that the milk was at the worst moment of the harvest”, says the vice president of Abras, Márcio Milan.

In recent months, attention has also been drawn to the sale of similar dairy products, mixtures of dairy compounds with whey and starch, in packages similar to traditional ones. Recently, a coffee-flavored beverage powder also attracted attention on the networks, initially advertised on Amazon as “traditional coffee”. The company adjusted the product ad after contacting the report.

Asked about the sale of such products, Milan said that all items sold in the supermarket chain are registered and authorized by regulatory bodies, such as Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency).

“If on the one hand it is authorized by regulatory bodies, what would prevent this product from being commercialized?” He states that Abras provides guidance on good practices and recommendations, but does not act on commercial issues, specific to each company.

Association plans ‘Black Friday of supermarkets’

Milan informed that, together with the industry, Abras program the national supermarket day, which compares to a Black Friday in the sector.

“We want to bring another moment of consumption to the population and consumers, where both industry and supermarkets are scheduling this day, making a big effort to bring many discounts.”

The expectation is to start in 2022. “For sure next year we will be much more structured, but we do intend to start this year.”

For Abras, the trend is for prices to fall

In July, the prices of tomatoes (23.7%), potatoes (16.6%) and onions (5.5%) fell. Soybean oil, beans, sugar and rice also had declines. “These are signs that we are already beginning to see of a price that retreats in relation to previous months”, says Milan.

The vice president of Abras points out that the reduction in the price of fuels also brings a tendency to stabilize and lower values. “As it is a complex chain, this result ends up taking a little longer to feel.” Also, the recent devaluation of soybean, wheat and corn prices on the international market should have an impact.

The association projects that the year will end with a 3% to 3.3% rise in consumption by Brazilian households, also influenced by government aid, such as the increase from R$400 to R$600 in the value of Auxílio Brasil, and events that boost the consumption, such as the World Cup.