Translated using ChatGPT service.
The Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC), following the signing of the Memorandum on Food Product Trade (the Memorandum) on May 27, 2025, has started monitoring the retail chains of food supermarkets. PTAC collects and compiles data on the price levels of products included in the basic food price basket, and also checks whether and which products traders include in this basket.
Currently, the low-price basket is offered by four retail chains: Maxima (since June 24), Rimi (since June 26), Top (since June 26), and Lidl (since June 30).
PTAC observations indicate that products in the low-price basket are in demand, and certain types are frequently sold out in stores. Retailers are making efforts to promptly restock missing items on the shelves. It is observed that the low-price basket is typically set for a week, but the products may change — some retailers change the composition of the basket within the week; however, this trend is expected to stabilize over time.
Minister for Economics, Viktors Valainis, stated:
“At this stage, the initial conclusions about the practical implementation of the memorandum are positive, though all parties to the memorandum must continue their efforts to achieve the set goals. The main evaluators of the memorandum are the citizens themselves, who have already confirmed through their choices in favor of low-price basket products that this approach is necessary and should be continued.”
Main conclusions from PTAC:
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Retailers mostly aim to ensure one low-price product per category. It is positively noted that some chains include not only the product types listed in the memorandum but also others, such as rice and pasta.
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Since products from the low-price basket are more often sold out, stores must ensure their availability, especially in regional locations.
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Each retail chain selects specific products to include in the ten basic categories. For example, in the vegetable category, it might be cucumbers or tomatoes. This gives consumers more choice and an opportunity to save by shopping at different stores.
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PTAC noted that at first, low-price basket products in some supermarket chains were not clearly marked, but the situation is improving and the signage is becoming more visible.
It is important to continue highlighting low-price basket items not only digitally, but also physically in-store, so that consumers have clear and understandable options. -
For several products, such as milk, dairy products (cottage cheese, kefir), rye bread, and white bread, identical prices were observed across different chains.
Ieva Šmite, Acting Chair of the Competition Council, added:
"In the view of the Competition Council (CC), the low-price basket initiative can promote price competition in food retail if retailers, in response to competitors' offerings, independently strive to offer consumers better terms.
The observation that similar or even identical prices are emerging in some product categories across different retail chains does not in itself indicate a competition violation, but it may show that retailers are carefully monitoring each other’s offers and trying to keep up.
As food retail is one of the Competition Council’s key oversight areas, we are closely monitoring market developments and will conduct in-depth analysis if needed to ensure that market participants are operating under conditions of fair competition. The CC has already launched a new retail market study, examining municipal territorial planning and the availability of retail locations."
This week, about 30–40% of the products in the low-price baskets in supermarkets were locally produced. The broader availability of local products in stores overall, not just in the low-price basket, is seen as a positive trend.
Zaiga Liepiņa, Director of PTAC, stated:
"The implementation of the memorandum is a positive step. Overall, prices have stabilized compared to the moment of signing the memorandum, and over time, this can improve household financial situations and promote social sustainability. It is expected that competition between retailers will also increase."
Information
The aim of the Memorandum on Food Product Trade is to improve access to essential food products at lower prices for the people of Latvia.
The memorandum was signed on May 27, 2025, by leading retail chains and responsible state institutions, affirming their commitment to providing society with access to essential daily products at affordable prices.
The memorandum provides that the low-price basket must include products from ten basic food categories:
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Bread
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Milk
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Dairy products
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Fresh vegetables and potatoes
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Fresh fruits and berries
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Meat
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Fresh fish
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Flour and other cereals
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Eggs
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Olive oil or other grain-based oil.