A new wave of price adjustments for basic products continues in Ukrainian supermarket chains. As of Thursday, August 20, RBC-Ukraine conducted a price monitoring exercise in Silpo, ATB, Novus, and Auchan, gathering the most affordable offers for key product categories. The main feature of the current situation is divergent dynamics: some items in the consumer "basket" have become cheaper, while others, conversely, continue to rise in price, which is characteristic of a phase of partial market stabilization following a period of sharp fluctuations.
What got cheaper in chains on August 20
Among the items where a decrease was recorded, the monitoring highlights oil and bread. These two categories traditionally belong to the basic consumer set, so their price reduction is perceived by buyers as a noticeable relief for the budget. According to RBC-Ukraine, the downward trend for oil and bread was already observed the day before, on August 19, and persisted on the 20th, indicating a stable, rather than one-off, correction, rather than a spot promotion by a single retailer.
Dairy group and eggs: positions that are rising in price
Against the backdrop of the price drop for part of the assortment, dairy products and eggs are moving in the opposite direction. As a result of the monitoring on August 20, milk shows a price increase, and eggs, according to data from previous days of observation, are also among the items rising in price. This combination — cheaper bread and oil with more expensive milk and eggs — creates exactly that "divergent" picture that analysts are recording: the overall index does not fall or rise sharply but shifts depending on the structure of the specific buyer's consumer basket.
International context: warnings about price increases
The Ukrainian dynamic stands against the backdrop of broader European signals. In particular, Dutch supermarket chains, according to reports from industry publications, are warning of a possible food price increase of around 10% next year. This is not a direct indication for the Ukrainian market, but an external benchmark showing that pressure on food prices in the region persists and retailers are factoring in further cost increases for certain categories in their forecasts. For the Ukrainian consumer, this means that the current price reduction of individual items may be temporary.
What this means for the consumer
For buyers, the practical conclusion is that there is currently no single trend of "everything is getting cheaper" or "everything is getting more expensive." A rational strategy is to compare prices between Silpo, ATB, Novus, and Auchan for specific goods and to take into account that basic items like bread and oil have become more affordable, while for milk and eggs, one should budget with a margin for growth. The next RBC-Ukraine monitoring updates will allow us to track whether the current divergent dynamics will persist or if the market will move to a more stable price level.
