Even in Switzerland, prices go down at times, for reasons that are often hard to explain, because they driven by complex market forces.
Right now, you can take advantage of these lower-than-normal prices:
Meat
Aldi recently announced price reductions of up to 36 percent for fresh beef, poultry, pork and lamb.
This means, for example, that 500 grams of minced beef now costs just 5.99 francs, almost 2 francs less than before.
A kilo of chicken thighs is 35 percent cheaper currently — at 5.49 francs.
And for 100 grams of pork fillet, you now have to pay 2.99 francs, instead of 3.99 francs previously.
Denner followed shortly after with its own reductions of around 25 percent on minced beef.
In the meantime, the more expensive retailer, Coop, is also about to cut prices: it said it would reduce the price per kilo of imported minced meat by a quarter. Swiss chicken thighs will cost 6.3 percent less, and pork fillet will be 25 cheaper.percent.
As The Local reported recently, this ‘price war’ among retailers benefits Swiss consumers:
READ ALSO: Is Switzerland’s latest supermarket price war good for shoppers?
Fruits and vegetables
Tomatoes, zucchini, eggplants, and peppers have also seen a sharp decline.
According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), their prices fell by 3.3 percent in August, as compared to the previous month.
For melons and grapes, prices dropped even more: by 7.8 and 15.5 percent, respectively.
Gasoline
Refuelling your car has also become cheaper.
Compared to the previous month, the price of petrol fell in August 1.9 percent.
A litre of unleaded currently costs 1.77 francs and a litre of diesel 1.82 francs.
“In the last two weeks, fuel prices have fallen,” confirmed Vanessa Flack, a spokesperson for the TCS motoring organisation.
For heating oil, the decrease is between 6.4 and 12.6 percent.
Air travel
According to the latest figures from the FSO, the price level of international flights in August was 6.7 percent lower than in July.
“Overall, as far as tickets are concerned, we see that they are lower this year than in 2023,” according to Muriel Wolf Landau, spokesperson for Hotelplan travel agency.
All of the above cuts will bring some relief to Swiss consumers and may even (though slightly) offset the increasing costs, like those of health insurance premiums.
READ ALSO: The best travel deals in Switzerland this autumn
Keep in mind though that these (and other) prices could very well increase in the medium term, if various negative economic factors converge.
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