These are the cheapest shops in Hungary according to the price monitoring system

On 1 July, the long-awaited online price monitoring system was launched. The system aims to assist shoppers in finding the best prices during mandatory promotions, ultimately helping families save money.

The Hungarian government’s online price monitoring system, announced months ago, went live a few days ago. The system allows Hungarian shoppers to conveniently check online where they can find the basic food items they want to buy at the best prices offered during mandatory promotions. The hope is that this information in advance will enable consumers to save thousands of forints, writes Pénzcentrum.

Unfair competition?

The implementation of this measure is mandatory for the largest retail chains. Especially for those with a net turnover exceeding HUF 100 billion (EUR 2,670,184). These chains are required to provide data to the price monitoring system. However, concerns have been raised about the system.

One concern is that since the obligation to provide data to the Competition Authority (Versenyhatóság) only applies to shops above a certain revenue threshold, customers will only see prices from shops that already face fierce competition. In other words, the prices of more expensive small shops will not be included in the “average” shown.

Price monitoring website

Upon opening the price watcher, users are greeted with a clean and simple interface. At the top of the page, there is a search bar where users can browse for specific food items. Additionally, there is a store locator on the map, allowing users to find the nearest store. Once the desired product is selected, shoppers can proceed to the store to make their purchase.