This Chain Has the Cheapest Grocery Bag

Every year, the Swedish National Pensioners’ Organization (PRO) conducts a survey to determine which grocery chain has the cheapest food, and this year’s winner has now been announced.

In November, around a thousand PRO members visited grocery stores across the country to check the prices of 40 specific items. It is now clear that this year’s cheapest grocery bag for Swedish consumers is found at Lidl, closely followed by Willys and Ica Maxi.

– We are extremely happy that Lidl is participating in the survey for the first time and that we are immediately crowned the overall winner with the lowest price in Sweden for PRO’s grocery bag. This is proof that our business model works and that we offer the country’s most affordable grocery bag to all our customers, says Robert Stekovic, chief customer officer at Lidl Sweden.

This year, PRO focused on including more of the stores’ own brand products, which allowed all the major grocery chains in Sweden to participate. Lidl participated for the first time and had the lowest average price at 1,082 kronor. Willys was not far behind with an average of 1,088 kronor, and Ica Maxi Hypermarket with 1,090 kronor.

– It’s great to be able to present a price comparison that’s become even more useful for consumers, now that all the major chains are included. Food prices are still high and it’s tough for many of our members, so this is truly a survey that many have asked for, says Åsa Lindestam, chairperson of PRO.

City Gross Best for Pensioners

The single cheapest store in this year’s survey was Ica Kvantum Värnamo in Jönköping County, where PRO’s grocery bag cost 1,038 kronor.

– It’s great that we were able to survey all the chains and more small stores this year. We adjusted the content of the grocery bag so that more could participate, says Ola Nilsson, consumer policy expert at PRO.

The county with the lowest average price was Kronoberg, and the highest was Stockholm. The most pensioner-friendly chain was City Gross, with the highest proportion of stores with features such as seating after the checkout, customer toilet, and senior discount.