2022 vs. 2025: this is how much more expensive cheap supermarket products are now
”If you look around a little in the supermarket, your eye sometimes falls on products that are just soooo cheap that you can hardly believe it.” That’s what FavorFlav’s Sabina wrote in 2022. She listed seven supermarket products that were ‘ridiculously cheap‘. And now we’re wondering: three years later and after hefty inflation, are these products still that cheap?
Three years ago, Sabina looked at products from Albert Heijn and DEEN. Sadly, DEEN no longer exists (though we still miss it!). The supermarket was taken over by Albert Heijn, Vomar and DekaMarkt. That’s why I included these three supermarkets in this little investigation.
Tin of tomato purée
In 2022, you paid just 25 cents for a tin of tomato purée. Now, three years later, that price has doubled: the same 70-gram tin costs 49 cents at Albert Heijn. That’s almost—or, well, actually just completely—a doubling of the price… Notable: if we look at the same quantity of tomato purée at DekaMarkt and Vomar (G’woon), you pay 30 cents. That’s not too bad, right?
Penny wafers
Who doesn’t know them, the old school penny wafers? The crispy wafer with chocolate in between used to travel to school in a great many backpacks. In 2022, you could buy a pack of penny wafers for 65 cents. A bargain. Now DekaMarkt and Vomar charge 79 cents, and Albert Heijn 85 cents. So the wafers cost a few more pennies; you pay over 21% more if you buy them at DekaMarkt or Vomar and over 30% more at Albert Heijn.
Rice dessert
Rice puddings are the ultimate nostalgic dessert, aren’t they? Every once in a while, I really, really crave one. In 2022, you paid 32 cents for a tub; dirt-cheap, in other words. Now Vomar and DekaMarkt charge 59 cents, and Albert Heijn as much as 79 cents. The price increase? 84% at Vomar and DekaMarkt. And hold on to your hat: at Albert Heijn, over 146%. Whaaaat?!
Hussar salad
Greasy, sweet, easy to eat: hussar salad is the ideal snack. Three years ago, it was on the shelves for 30 cents. Albert Heijn now charges almost double: 59 cents. That’s a 96% increase. Notably, hussar salad cannot be found at DekaMarkt or Vomar.
Vanilla sugar
”EIGHTEEN CENTS!!!” FavorFlav’s Sabina practically shouted behind her laptop. The shout was one of astonishment, prompted by the ridiculously low price of vanilla sugar. Yes, it’s almost impossible to believe. For the same B-brand, you now pay 33 cents at DekaMarkt (an increase of 83%). Albert Heijn charges slightly more for its own-brand vanilla sugar, namely 35 cents. And Vomar? It only sells the high class vanilla sugar from Dr. Oetker, for 94 cents. So those EIGHTEEN CENTS are nowhere to be found anymore.
Roll of crispbreads
Albert Heijn cheerfully keeps almost doubling its prices. In 2022, you paid 35 cents for a roll of crispbreads; these days, it’s already 59 cents. At 57 cents for G’woon crispbreads, Vomar and DekaMarkt aren’t far behind.
Yum Yum noodle soup
The ultimate student food; easy and quick to make, tasty, and it costs next to nothing. In 2022, you paid just 41 cents for a pack of Yum Yum noodles. Now Albert Heijn charges 59 cents, and Vomar and DekaMarkt 58 cents. That’s about 43 percent more. Particularly painful for students, of course.
Still cheap, right?
Look, don’t get us wrong: of course, you still don’t pay more than a euro for any of these products. If you consider the supermarket’s entire range, these are still the cheapest products you can buy there. But increases of more than 100 percent… That really hurts, doesn’t it? Knowing that prices will probably never go down again…
Let’s compare the prices again in a few years. Maybe we’ll then say to each other wistfully: remember the good old days… When you could buy a roll of crispbreads for less than a euro?
Also read:
- 9 costly mistakes you make when grocery shopping
- Huh? This is in half of your groceries—but you didn’t know it
- These are the worst times of the week to do your grocery shopping
Sources: Albert Heijn, Vomar, DekaMarkt, image: Albert Heijn (edited)
