Overview

• Consultancy LCG measured a 1.4% rise in food and beverage prices over the four weeks through the end of September, with momentum picking up in the final two weeks at 1.6% and 0.9%.
• The first week of October showed a 0.4% average drop, led by declines in oils and household beverages, fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
• Over the past month, the biggest increases were in fruits (+5.6%), sugar and sweets (+3.8%), oils (+3.7%), and breads, cereals, and pastas (+2.6%), while meats were flat and vegetables fell.
• Supermarket representatives asked suppliers to halt price lists justified by dollar volatility, citing unstable costs and weak consumption.
• Regulatory and data moves added to the turbulence as ANMAT barred two olive oil brands from sale and IPC Online revised Bahía Blanca’s September inflation to 2.29%.