In association with IRI, the just-food international basket shows the cost of a typical range of goods in eight markets every quarter. The data also outlines trends in branded and private-label pricing, as well as the volume sold on promotion. The latest set of numbers shows data for the second quarter of 2014.

Martin Wood, head of strategic insight for retail at IRI, analysis the figures in an exclusive column here.

CATEGORY TYPICAL PACK SIZE PACK TYPE
Cereals 500g Single Medium Box
Rice  500g Single Packet
Canned tuna fish 185g Single Can
Ambient wet soup 400g Single Can
Ambient mayonnaise 400g Single Jar
Frozen pizza 400g Single Average Size Pizza
Frozen burger 224g 4 Pack
Yoghurts 500g 4 Pack
Margarine 250g Single Tub
Butter 250g Single Packet
Wet cat food 400g Single Can
Milk – ambient 568ml One Pint
Beer 440ml Single Can
Fruit juices – ambient 1000ml Single Carton
Energy drinks 250ml Single Can
Tea bags 500ml 160ct Packet
Colas 1320ml 4 cans

The cost of a typical basket has risen in six of the eight focus markets. Greece and Spain are the exceptions, an indication of the challenging economic conditions that persist in the two countries.

This graph shows the cost of the just-food basket if, one, comprising only brands (shown by the light blue bars) and, two, if made up only of private-label lines (the dark blue bars). Only in Germany would the price of an own-label basket have fallen, suggesting at the moves retailers have made across markets to increase private-label prices.

The gap between the price of brands and of own-label continued to shrink in the second quarter of the year, the data shows. More branded products are being bought on promotion, pushing down the average price of brands towards retailers’ private label. The exception is Germany.

The level of food sold on deal rose in every market in the second quarter, including the notoriously promo-heavy UK. Only in the Netherlands did the level fall year-on-year. Greece is not included in this chart due to challenges compiling this data.

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The data for the first quarter of 2014 can be found here, with IRI’s analysis of those numbers here.