SHOPPERS could save between 1,300 and 3,400 euros a year according to which supermarkets they visited and by always buying own-brand groceries, a study by a leading consumers' union reveals.
Catalunya rewmains the most expensive region for buying food and household goods, slightly above the Basque Country and its neighbour Navarra, whilst Murcia, Andalucía and Galicia are the cheapest.
Depending upon the supermarket chosen, shoppers could save between 10% and 25% on their grocery bill, according to the OCU.
This equates to around 1,311 euros a year, but it is possible to cut down by a further 1,015 euros by buying own-brand goods.
However, unbranded produce has generally gone up in price since the start of the financial crisis, whilst branded goods have gone down, says one of the researchers, Miguel Ángel Pascual.
Supermarket own brands have gone up by around 2.2% on average, although in practice by anything up to 10% or 20% for certain items, since the end of 2008.
Yet branded groceries have fallen in price by a typical 2.1%.
OCU spokeswoman Ileana Izverniceanu says this is worrying, since own-brand goods being so cheap provokes price wars among brand manufacturers, but this is no longer happening.
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