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Sweden's food prices buck downward trend

Published: 11 Jun 09 11:19 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/20006/20090611/

Consumer prices have dropped in Sweden over the last twelve months, according to new figures from Statistics Sweden.

Prices fell by 0.4 percent in May on a 12-month basis, after a drop of 0.1 percent in April, the agency said in a statement on Thursday.

Food prices however were 2.9 percent higher than the same period last year, a development explained largely by the weak krona, according to SEB bank.

The food price rise was led by the high cost of bread and other grain products (up 2.8 percent), meat (up 3 percent) and fruit (up 6.2 percent).

"We import around half of what we eat, so the krona effect becomes very clear," the bank's chief analyst, Henrik Mittelman told news agency TT.

But in general prices were down. Lower interest rates and a fall in the cost of home repairs were the key drivers behind the deflation, the Statistics Sweden statement said.

From April to May, however, consumer prices rose by 0.1 percent owing to the increase in petrol prices, according to Statistics Sweden.

Sweden experienced several months of strong inflation last year before tailing off rapidly.

In September, inflation was as high as 4.4 percent year-on-year.

Sweden's central bank has set itself an inflation target of 2.0 percent year-on-year.

Deflation can hamper economic growth because it reduces businesses profits and discourages investment.

It also leads consumers to put off buying goods in the hope that prices will continue to fall.

TT/AFP/The Local (news@thelocal.se)

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12:48 June 11, 2009 by karex
Statistics are one thing. I'll believe it when I can feel it at the check-out counter.
09:10 June 12, 2009 by Nemesis
Consumer prices have not really dropped in the last 12 months in Sweden. Whoever came up with those figures does not shop in the same local monopolies which the rest of us shop in.

I have noticed the food prices continuing to rise even thought there is a recession. Even taking into account the weakening of the krona, the prices are still rising.

That is purely due to lack of competition in Sweden for ICA/COOP. There is some small stores like Lidl and Netto, but there prices are also substantially higher than in other countries.

There needs to be more competition and the unoffical monopolies of the distributers and stores, needs to be broken up.

There needs to be an anti monopoly investigation by the European Union, firstly against the distributers, then the end sellers in Sweden, as the Swedish are paying substantially more at the cash desk, than there European counterparts.
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