Our Research

How we discovered counterintuitive pricing patterns that could save your family hundreds of euros per year

The Problem

We noticed something odd while shopping - the same products were often priced differently across various retailers, even within the same city. This wasn't just about promotional pricing; these were regular, everyday price variations that most consumers never notice.

We decided to investigate this phenomenon across multiple countries to understand the scale of these price differences and the potential savings that could be unlocked if shoppers could access this information.

Our Method

Over a period of 12 months, our team collected pricing data on 40,000+ common grocery items across 8 countries. We tracked prices at major retailers, including supermarkets, discount stores, and specialty shops, monitoring daily and weekly price fluctuations.

40,000+
Products Analyzed
8
Countries Covered
12
Months of Data Collection
25+
Retailers Monitored

Key Findings

Our research revealed significant pricing variations that consumers could leverage to save money without changing their shopping habits:

  • Price Variations

    The same products can vary in price by 8-15% between retailers in the same area, with some items showing differences as high as 30%.

  • Geographic Patterns

    Urban areas with higher retailer density showed greater price variations, indicating more competitive pricing environments.

  • Product Categories

    Fresh produce and dairy products showed the highest price variations, while packaged goods had more stable pricing across retailers.

  • Timing Impact

    Price variations were relatively consistent over time, suggesting these are structural differences rather than temporary promotions.

Visualizing the Data

Average Price Variations by Product Category
Fresh Produce
15-30%
Dairy & Eggs
10-25%
Meat & Fish
8-20%
Bakery
5-15%
Packaged Goods
3-10%

Implications for Shoppers

These findings demonstrate that significant savings are available to consumers who can compare prices across retailers. However, manually checking prices at multiple stores is time-consuming and impractical for most people.

This is where pricio.io comes in - by aggregating real-time pricing data from multiple retailers and automatically splitting shopping lists to get the best prices, we unlock these savings without requiring any extra effort from shoppers.

Ready to Start Saving?

Use our calculator on the homepage to estimate your potential savings, or download pricio.io to start saving on your grocery shopping today.

Download pricio.io