June 6, 2008 — A recent Licensing and Consumer Affairs Department food survey shows a wide disparity among supermarkets when it comes to pricing their products.
In this month's survey on St. Thomas, grocery prices were compared at Pueblo Long Bay, Pueblo Subbase, Plaza Extra and Food Center. Of the 36 items used in this survey, the price of the typical family food basket was $152.05 at Pueblo in Subbase, $140.27 at Pueblo Long Bay, $138.34 at Food Center and $116.32 at Plaza Extra. Pueblo Subbase had the highest prices, while the lowest price for the same items was found at Plaza Extra. The cost of the food basket at Plaza Extra was lower by $35.73 when compared to the food basket at Pueblo in Subbase.
On St. John, food prices for 22 items were compared at Dolphin Supermarket and Starfish Market. The survey found the lower price for a typical family food basket at Dolphin Supermarket at a cost of $82.32. The higher price was found at Starfish Market at $85.75. The Dolphin Supermarket food basket was cheaper by $3.43.
On St. Croix, food prices were compared at Plaza Extra in Frederiksted and Pueblo in Golden Rock. Based on a survey of 77 items, Pueblo's food basket was priced at $327.32, while Plaza Extra's food basket was priced at $280.06.The better price for food was found at Plaza Extra, where its food basket was lower by $47.26.
There is no rational justification for the vast difference in price for the typical family food basket among grocery stores in the territory, said Licensing Commissioner Kenrick Robertson in a news release issued Thursday.
Robertson pointed out that on St. Thomas, a six-pack of Ensure nutritional supplement runs $25.19 at Pueblo in Subbase, $13.99 at Pueblo Long Bay and $11.99 at Plaza Extra.
"There is definitely something wrong in Pueblo's pricing structure, which is unacceptable to consumers,"Robertson said. Pueblo's has been fined recently for incorrect pricing on St. Thomas and St. Croix. (See "Pueblo Stores Fined Again for Incorrect Pricing.")
A look at Licensing's data makes it impossible to compare prices by island because the number of items and the items themselves vary by island. For example, the St. John and St. Croix surveys include flour, but not the St. Thomas survey.
Robertson could not be reached for further comment.
A few items are the same, and point out why St. John residents head to St. Thomas to do their major shopping. For example, bananas run $1.25 a pound at Dolphin Market and $1.29 at Starfish Market, both on St. John. On St. Thomas, they range in price from a low of 79 cents a pound at Plaza Extra to a high of 99 cents a pound at Food Center, with both Pueblo stores charging 83 cents a pound. Bananas on St. Croix were 78 cents a pound at Plaza Extra and 83 cents a pound at Pueblo.
The lowest price for Pet evaporated milk was at Plaza Extra on St. Croix, where the price ran 88 cents a can. However, St. John's Dolphin Market had the next-lowest price at $1.25 a can. Prices at the other stores on all three islands ranged from $1.29 to $1.59 a can.
Robertson urged all supermarkets operators to pay more attention in ensuring that consumers are being charged the advertised price for their food items and to correct any pricing mistakes immediately. Members of the public have complained about irregularities at the supermarkets in the two districts, the commissioner said.
In these critical times of escalating commodity prices, DLCA will continue to monitor prices with vigilance, Robertson said, and people must choose wisely to maximize their purchasing power by shopping at supermarkets that offer the lowest price and the best value.
The food basket survey is conducted monthly in both districts.
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