As of Tuesday, September 1, Ukrainian retail chains updated their price tags on a range of basic food products. According to RBC-Ukraine monitoring, the most noticeable changes were recorded in the Silpo chain, where promotional offers led to lower prices for sunflower oil and eggs. Meanwhile, the prices of bread, buckwheat, and milk in most stores — ATB, Auchan, Novus — remained at the level of August 31, indicating that the price shifts are local rather than systemic.

What got cheaper in Silpo

The largest fluctuations on September 1 were concentrated in the Silpo chain. The price of 0.5 L of refined "Premia" sunflower oil was reduced from 55.49 to 52.99 UAH as part of a promotion. In the egg category, a substitution took place: the "Pashot" eggs (48.39 UAH per dozen) were replaced by "Sytyi Dvor" C2-category eggs at a promotional price of 41.99 UAH per dozen, making them the cheapest offer among the compared chains. Thus, it is promotional rather than base prices that are shaping the current dynamics in this category.

Stability in ATB, Auchan, and Novus

In the other major chains — ATB, Auchan, and Novus — price tags on key items remained at the level of August 31. This means that for most categories (bread, milk, grains), shoppers in these chains will notice no changes when purchasing. The differences between chains are therefore determined less by market-wide growth than by each retailer's individual promotional programs, which makes comparing prices for a specific item in a specific store more meaningful than an abstract "average" price tag.

Contradictory data

The wording about "price reductions" contains an important nuance that should be reflected honestly. On the one hand, oil and eggs did indeed get cheaper in Silpo — but solely due to promotions, not a revision of base prices. On the other hand, the picture for buckwheat is different: the cheapest item in Silpo — "Premia" 1 kg — costs 54.99 UAH on promotion, whereas the day before the cheapest grain, "Domik," was sold at 53.99 UAH. In other words, in the grain category the most accessible price actually rose slightly, despite the overall narrative of "cheaper products." Moreover, specific numerical values are provided in detail only for Silpo, while for ATB, Auchan, and Novus only general stability is stated without a breakdown by item, which limits the precision of cross-chain comparison.

General backdrop and inflation expectations

Internationally, retailers are warning of risks of rising food prices over the coming year — in particular, Dutch chains forecast a possible increase of around 10%. These estimates relate to the EU market and are not a direct forecast for Ukraine; however, they form the general inflationary backdrop in which Ukrainian retailers are forced to balance promotional discounts with margin preservation. For the consumer, this means that point reductions on individual items do not cancel out the long-term pressure on the prices of basic products.

Takeaways for consumers

The practical takeaway on September 1 is that the savings on oil and eggs are available primarily in Silpo and only when purchased at promotional prices. For the remaining basic categories, there is virtually no difference between chains, so savings are determined not by the choice of chain brand but by careful comparison of prices for a specific item on a specific day. Given that some of the "reductions" are promotional and may be temporary, it is premature to lock in current prices as a new sustainable level.