Once again, we see that the cost of living continues to hover above the ten per cent mark for consumers in Jersey. However, the rate at which our Jersey Consumer Council ‘Basket of Essentials’ has increased over the past two years is currently sitting at a wallet-busting level.
Other than potatoes, everything has shot up, giving an average increase of a staggering 25% over two years.
The 14 items, we believe, represent a core of a lot of people’s shopping and, if these ‘basic’ items can climb so drastically, then it goes to show why Islanders continue to struggle every time they visit a supermarket. This kind of data – which is there for all to see on pricecomparison.je – highlights that our Island’s decision makers should not always rely on the headline inflation figures being published, and instead drill down further to see how real people are being impacted by real, everyday prices. While we wait for prices to stop climbing so fast, we encourage you all to keep shopping around.
Please don’t assume that just because you always go to the same supermarket, you’re getting the best value. The price difference on exactly the same item across our small Island is both staggering and concerning.
In the meantime, our Council volunteers continue to walk up and down the aisles with a clipboard every fortnight, gathering nearly 150 product prices, to help you decide where might be best place to do your shopping.
You can find the latest prices for these products in the ‘JCC Essentials’ section of prices.je.
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