Press Releases Council rolls out bi-weekly price survey to counter inflation - Hunghom / Tokwawan (July 16, 2008) PDF version Highlights of the latest bi-weekly price survey, released today (July 16) and conducted on a basket of 15 commodities (10 food and 5 non-food items) at a total of 18 different retail outlets in the Hunghom/ Tokwawan district include: In the food sector, the items were found with price differences ranging from 13% to 108%. The biggest price difference was found in Del Monte Tomato Paste 6oz ranging in price from $5, the lowest, to $10.4, the highest, a price difference of $5.4 or 108%. High price differences were recorded in 2 other food items: Sweetened Milk Spread 388g (from $7.3 to $11.9 or 63% difference); Sliced Pork in Szechuan Style 198g (from $8.5 to $13.5 or 58.8%). All these 3 items with high price differences could be found with lower prices in grocery/frozen food stores in the district. Notable price differences were found also in Pack Cheese Cracker 197g (from $9.9 to $14.9 or 50.5% difference); and Chocolate Candies 40g (from $4.5 to $6 or 33.3% difference). The remainder 5 food items were also found with price differences of a smaller extent between 13% and 25.2%. Grocery/frozen food outlets scored the most items with lowest prices (7 out of 10) while major supermarket chains 3 items and health-and-beauty chains 1 item. Conversely, 7 items with highest prices were recorded in the supermarket chains, 2 in grocery/frozen food outlets and 1 in health-and-beauty chain. Some of the supermarket chains offered bulk purchase discount, e.g. Chocolate Candies 40g averaging in price per unit $4.6 to $4.7, but they were still more expensive compared with the prices at grocery and health-and-beauty chain stores. In the category of the 5 non-food items, the price differences of the items in the survey ranged from 17.8% to 42.5%. Higher price differences were found in Roach Killer (with Germkill) 500ml (from $28 to $39.9 or 42.5% difference); Intensive Care Aloe Vera Moisturising Lotion 15oz (from $25 to $34.9 or 39.6% difference). Generally, drugstores were cheaper by comparison with the big supermarket chains and health-and-beauty chain stores for these items. Results of the bi-weekly price survey are available for reference of consumers at the Council's website www.consumer.org.hk/pricewatch , its Consumer Advice Centres as well as the Public Enquiry Service Centre of Kowloon City District Office. Price comparison report (Chinese only) : Microsoft Excel format/ PDF format Issued by Consumer Council 16 July 2008