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SHOPPING IN SANDO: It was a full and productive day of shopping for these people who walked along High Street in San Fernando clutching bags of items they just purchased. - Photo by Angelo MarcelleALTHOUGH prices have generally held stable, with a paltry 0.1 per cent rise in inflation noted in November, many consumers are keeping an eagle's eye on their spending as they have noted the high price of items at groceries and supermarkets during the Yuletide season.
Many say they are finding it more challenging than ever to cover the cost of basic food items let alone shop for the usual Christmas goodies of ham and grog and gifts.
“Things ent looking good for the poor man,” Port of Spain shopper, Glenda, told Newsday on December 18.
“Prices have gone up drastically! Everything and I mean everything is at least three or five dollars more.”
Saying she already has to fight just to afford the basics like bread, milk and baby formula, Glenda said her family have no means for Christmas shopping or celebrations.
“I have young children, so they don’t really understand what’s happening. I try to not put the stress on them but every time they ask, ‘mammy, what we getting for Christmas?’ I does feel to cry, because I know the answer.”
A single father of four, who asked not to be named, held a similar view saying he sometimes skips meals to ensure his daughters eat.
“I don’t know what to do again. It not making sense. I understand the world make up a different way now with trade war and all these things, but how much more money these groceries want to charge? I have nothing, plenty people have nothing…but the one per cent will tell us that the economy doing good.
“I hear (US President Donald) Trump saying America's economy is A-plus and the UNC talking about promises kept. Well it easy to say that from a big house when you eating the best.
"But when you have to watch your big son who now come out secondary school, choosing to do labour work instead of continuing his education, because he is worried that his sisters have nothing to eat...I say promises mean nothing.”
Recently, charities and other organisations have noted a sharp increase in people asking for help this Christmas season. Even elected MPs – both government and opposition – have reported that the main request they get from their constituents has been for food hampers and food cards.
On December 16, the Salvation Army distributed 600 food hampers to the needy and vulnerable, with some recipients lining up as early as 6 am to ensure they got a hamper. Although another 400 hampers are on the way, a Salvation Army representative told Newsday that demand for hampers this year has far exceeded the organisation’s means and also surpassed demands made in previous years.
A street vendor told Newsday she was among those who collected a hamper from the Salvation Army and while grateful, she said the food items in the hamper are enough to feed her family for a few days.
“Aside from that, we hardly have anything. The little sales I does get – and it real slow these days – does go to buy some bread and sausage, so at least we don’t go to sleep hungry. But my family, we don't see butter or cheese most times. And there is nothing like Christmas shopping this year. We can’t even shop normal, how we could shop for Christmas?”
One of her customers, who heard the interview, said even her usual money-saving strategies such as waiting on sales and shopping around, have not helped stretch her few dollars.
“You leave one store because you think their price too high, only to go to another and realise you should have bought your things at the first store because the next store's prices were higher,” the woman said.
Price comparisons
Surveying 41 supermarkets nationwide between December 1 and December 10, the Consumer Affairs Division conducted price assessments of over 50 items between several popular supermarket outlets including Massy Stores which is geared towards a more high-end customer base.
A 454g Butterball (bone-in) turkey at Massy Stores in Alyce Glen, Diego Martin cost around $289.99 while at West Bees Supermarket, the same item cost $249.95. At Tru Valu, Long Circular, St James, it cost $217.95, the Consumer Affairs Division report showed.
The prices for the boneless variety also fluctuated.
Both Massy and West Bees in Diego Martin sell this item at around $175 but customers in St James could save at John’s Supermarket and Tru Valu which price the item at around $150 and $128.95 respectively.
A classic Great Foods picnic ham is priced at $144.99 at the Massy branch, but costs $134.95 at West Bees, $115 at John’s Supermarket and $124.95 at Tru Valu.
Massy also charged the highest for the MacFoods brand of boneless chicken ham which they have priced at $128.99 compared to West Bees’ $95 and John’s $90.
At $31.81 per pound at Massy, minced chicken prices varied from $24.95 at John’s and $22.25 at Tru Valu to as low as $19.95 at West Bees. Prices of minced beef per pound varied less, however Massy led the charge at $38.55, followed by John’s $32.95, West Bees’ $31.95 and Tru Valu’s $31.34.
Prices for minced pork per pound were $31.75 at Massy, $24.95 at both West Bees and John’s Supermarket. Ponche de Creme at Massy was $95 a bottle but cost $119.95 at both West Bees and John’s.
In the East, Massy’s $289.99 turkey price was also rivalled by Xtra Foods’ $260, while the price of corn flour also varied. Sold for $21.99 at Massy’s St Augustine branch, one kg of Promasa corn flour was priced $15.50 at Tru Valu Trincity Mall and $17.99 at Xtra Foods.
In South, a single gala apple at G & N supermarket in Debe cost $5 while other stores in the area, including Massy in Point Fortin, maintained a price of just below $3.
Pennysaver and Double B’s Supermarket in Tobago saw similar prices for most listed items with the exception of a six-pack of Malta priced at $51.99 and $34.95, respectively.
In Massy’s financial statements for 2025, the company declared a revenue of $15.8 billion, a three per cent increase from last year, alongside over a billion in profit before tax.
Just one year ago, prices were quite different.
In it's 2024 report, the Consumer Affairs Division listed prices for Erin Farm picnic ham as $129.99 at Massy, $139.95 at West Bees and $127 at John's supermarket. An Xtra Foods’ boneless turkey was $174.99 while boneless and bone in hams were $150 and $190, respectively.
Prices for minced meats were also lower. Per pound, in 2024, Massy charged $31.81 for minced beef and $22.72 for minced pork. West Bees' 2024 prices were $29.95 per pound of minced beef and $24.95 for minced pork.
Newsday called executives of the Supermarket Association who said to direct all questions to president Biondi Bachew. However, multiple calls to Bachew's phone went unanswered and WhatsApp messages received no response.
A Massy representative also declined to comment.
Calls to Arima mayor and ADM Import & Export Distributors Limited CEO Balliram Maharaj also went unanswered.
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