Wednesday, November 14, 2007

November 2007

Hi, on this here first overview, I would like to draw attention to the following table which presents an overview of prices in USD at some of the major supermarkets in Phnom Penh as of 15 November 2007.

Please note that this is the first sample; building on this and (hopefully) on a monthly basis the list will become longer in number of items and wider, including 1 or 2 supermarkets currently not included. Admittedly this list is very 'dairy' heavy. This will gradually change in the coming months. However I do not expect that fresh produce (vegetables, fruit, meat) will ever be included, these are very difficult to compare.

Besides comparing on price, one should also note that there are other factors, such as convenience, service, vicinity, availablity, etc., etc. which influence the choice of supermarket.

Product Product Specification Price
@ Lucky's
Price
@ Pencil
Price
@ Bayon
Price
@ Thai Huot
Price
@ Big A
Tea bags Lipton, packet, 25 bags 1,15 1,15 1,10
1,15
Tea bags Lipton, packet, 100 bags
3,30 3,20 3,70 3,95
Tea bags Twinnings, 25 bags 4,00 3,20 3,10 2,95
Instant coffee Nescafe Red Cup, jar, 200 gr 3,70 3,55 3,40 3,50 3,55
Soda Schweppes, imported, Bitter lemon, 0,33 ltr 0,60 0,60 0,60 0,55 0,60
Soda Coca Cola, Cambodia produced, can 0,40 0,33 0,35 0,30 0,35
Fruit juice Mallee, orange / apple, 1 ltr. 1,60 1,80 1,55 1,70 1,55
Preservatives S&W, Various, can, 432 gr.
1,50 1,10 1,40
Flour Red Lotus special 1,75 1,65

1,60
Flour Prima top
2,20 2,00 1,70
Plain flour Self raising, Sunshine, carton, 1 kg 2,60 2,25 2,90
2,95
Eggs 10 pieces 0,95 1,00 1,20 1,20 1,00
Olive oil Latino Bello, bottle, 1 ltr. 10,40 10,35
8,40 10,00
Sunflower Oil Sunbeam, flacon, 1 ltr 1,90 2,10 2,00
1,95
Dishwashing liquid Sunlight, flacon, 900 gr
0,60
0,80 0,80
Pasta Campagna, 500 gr spaghetti 1,05

0,95
Batteries Duracell, AAA, 4 pieces 1,80
1,70 1,70
Sugar Mitr Pohl, 1 kg 0,50 0,55 0,60
0,55
Salt Prung Thip, 0,5 kg 0,35 0,45
0,30
Tomato ketchup KK 320 gr 0,50 0,55 0,60
0,55
Oatmeal Quakers quickcook, 0,4 kg 2,45 2,80 2,50 2,40 2,80
Raisins Ligo, carton, 312 gr. 1,25 1,30 1,20 1,30 1,25
Pretzels Pringles 1,45 1,40 1,40 1,40 1,45
Tang Orange flavour, pack, 750 gr 2,90 2,65 2,60 2,70
Toilet paper Cellox, soft 0,90 0,90
0,85 0,90
Peanut Butter Locally produced, jar, 440 gr 2,20


2,55
Peanut Butter Ligo, 340 gr 1,80 1,90 2,00
1,95
UHT milk Cowhead 1 ltr 1,30 1,15


Fresh milk Meiji, plastic bottle, 2 liter 3,35 3,20 3,20

Butter Anchor, unsalted, pack, 227 gr. 1,80

1,90 1,80
Butter Orchid, fresh, packet, 227 gr. 1,35
1,30
1,30
Cheese Lemnos, feta 5,10 4,70 4,50

Cheese Bega mild 250gr
3,60 3,20

Cheese Emborg, Danish Brie
3,50

3,40
Cheese Arla, Mozzarella, 200 gr
2,80 2,90 2,90
Cheese Coon, tasty 250 gr 3,80 4,50


Cheese La vache qui rit, triangles, spreadable cheese 1,65 1,90
1,75
Cheese Cowhead, 12 slices 1,10 1,10



That noted, the overview is intended to draw conclusions towards price. As the list is quite limited, one should note that the following conclusions are limited as well.

But with comparing each supermarket, Bayon supermarket always comes out top. The difference between Bayon and Lucky's is just over 4%, with Pencil more significant, >7%. There is hardly any noticible difference in price between Bayon and Thai Huot (also located practically next to each other, so they probably price accordingly). Big A is consistently the most expensive, though only just.

If you were to buy only the cheapest product available, this shopping around would still result in a more than 4,5% (based on 25 products) savings with Bayon, 4,7% (22 products) for Thai Huot, 9,7% for Lucky's (31 products), 9,8% (33 products) for Pencils and 11,1% for Big A (23 products).

There are also large differences to be obtained: for instance 2 $US on 1 liter olive oil bought at Thai Huot as opposed to Lucky's. Buying Twinnings teabags at the same supermarkets results in a savings of more than a dollar, if bought at Thai Huot.

If you might have any suggestions,just mail me at crossingcambodia@hotmail.com