KwaZulu-Natal consumers should brace themselves for a huge hike in the prices of meat, chicken and grocery
products this
festive season.
This was published in a front page article in the Daily News (December7) highlighting that prices have skyrocketed and are expected to continue rising.
This was indicated by three major supermarket groups which are the Spar Group, Pick 'n Pay and Shoprite Holdings.
The stores indicated they are experiencing a nationwide shortage of products, including carbonated drinks and also said the problem was a result of a decline in service levels from suppliers of dry goods, including dry groceries and toiletries, in terms of stock volumes.
Roelf Venter, Spar group's marketing executive, said they were only getting about 88% of the goods they were ordering and the items in short supply varies from week to week.
He added the shortage of Coke is a concern and they’ve also had a major problem with pilchards.
Group marketing
director of Shoprite Checkers Brian Weyers said their supermarket group is putting the short supply of some products down to the huge growth in demand
experienced over the past year.
According to Weyers, the Shoprite Group, had not yet experienced a short-supply of carbonated soft drinks from its suppliers, but the shortage of fizzy drinks was unpredictable.
Pick 'n Pay's food and merchandise director, Paul Connellan, said while their stores had experienced problems, it did not extend to fresh produce.
Connellan said it does appear that these problems are long-term and more than likely can be ascribed to poor planning on the part of the producers.
Calven Robinson, owner of local butchery Bluff Meat Supply said while the price of beef was stable, the price of lamb was high.
Robinson said consumers are paying about R42 for 1kg of lamb compared to the festive period last year when lamb was selling at R39 a kg.