News, Around the Country | Big price test on beer in stores: Extreme differences

(NETTAVISEN): It is spring and good speed in Akerselva. The grass has turned a nice color and today it is t-shirt-warm in the air.

In the evening, there will be a lot of red-clad people here. Bottles will be jacked. Boxes will be opened.

We meet four Russians who go to Foss upper secondary school nearby. They are surprised when they learn about the big price differences for beer.

See the large list of 391 beer prices further down

– It may be that you don’t think so much then and there if you just need something quick for an occasion or something. You just take something from the nearest shop, says Louise.

Nettavisen’s test shows, for example, that the liter price of Ringnes pilsner can vary from around the fifty mark and up to twice that.

– You might sometimes think that a shop is a shop. If you start checking, you discover that it’s not quite right, says Vilde.

The choice of shop can be decisive, and in fact you risk paying 30 per cent more for the beer if you shop in the “wrong” shop.

But even if you buy the same type of beer in the same store, the price can be quite different.

– It is quite shocking. It creates reactions, says Robin.

For many, the Russian time costs a lot. And spending on beer definitely eats away at the budget.

For example, if you buy a six-pack of Frydenlund pilsner at Extra, it costs 167.40. At Joker, the same package costs 221.40. That’s NOK 54 more and 32 percent more expensive.

– Oh, then I won’t shop at Joker anymore, says Alan.

Big differences

The price check shows that the price differences between the stores can be large. In many cases, the exact same beer is between 20 and 30 percent more expensive in some chains.

All these chains were checked:

• Bottom price
• Coop Mega
• Coop Prize
• Extra
• Joker
• Kiwi
• Menu
• Oda
• Rema 1000
• Save

The very cheapest beer price Nettavisen found was at Oda. There, a six-pack of Tuborg Grøn cost 176.40 pints. This gives a price per liter of 51.76. We found the second cheapest at Meny with Seidel with a price per liter of 51.80.

Oda director Tor Erik Aag thinks it is a great honor to have the very lowest beer price in the test.

– We are working hard to ensure that everyone gets what they like at low prices, and we have now adjusted the few prices where we were not the cheapest in this test, he tells Nettavisen.

Expensive at Joker

At the other end of the scale, we found Corona Extra in cans at Coop Mega at a price of 151.21 per litre.

But it is Joker that most often comes out as the most expensive in Nettavisen’s test.

– We are a small convenience store chain that cannot compete as hard on price as the discount chains. But our customers value the accessibility and customer service we offer at Joker, says communications advisor Anna Kapler to Nettavisen.

She adds that there has been a mistake on the price tag on Ringnes Lite, and that it is actually a bit more affordable, which they are now correcting.

Also Meny, Coop Mega, Coop Prix are the most expensive in some cases.

– Low price and supermarket are two different concepts and not directly comparable, says Nina Hynne, communications manager at Meny.

She points out that they have a much larger selection, including beer from many Norwegian craft breweries.

– It is therefore natural that there is a certain price difference compared to low price which has a much narrower range, she says and also points out that Meny also has cheap beer at the same price as Kiwi.

– Almost ashamed

Blogger Rune “Gjerrigknarken” Nikolaisen thinks there may be another explanation for the price differences:

– There is another mechanism that kicks in when it comes to beer. You never see someone standing in the shop studying the price of a liter of beer. It’s sort of a bit embarrassing, it’s almost a bit shamefulhe says.

Extra, Kiwi and Rema 1000 are again among the cheapest in the test, but also Oda, Bunnpris are the cheapest in some cases.

Size matters

In the main, we have stuck to lager and similar types of beer. We have checked prices in one store in each chain. For Oda, Meny and Spar, prices are checked online. The selection may vary from store to store. The overview therefore does not give a complete picture.

But one thing is certain: you can save a lot by being a little conscious when buying beer.

Many people are probably aware that the price per liter of beer is lower if you buy a half-litre can than a small one of 0.33 litres.

But not everyone knows that the difference can vary widely, and up to 40 percent.

Look further down: 391 beers sorted by cheapest

At Kiwi we found these liter prices:

Tuborg Green

• 0.5 l.: 56.80
• 0.33 l.: 66.06
• Difference: 9.26
• Difference in percentage: 16 percent

Hansa Pilsner

• 0.5 l.: 70.90
• 0.33 l.: 90.61
• Difference: 19.81
• Difference in percentage: 31 percent

Frydenlund Barrel beer

• 0.5 l.: 67.80
• 0.33 l.: 95.15
• Difference: 27.35
• Difference in percentage: 40 percent

The fees affect

One reason why small boxes are often quite a bit more expensive is the tax system. There is a basic tax on packaging that is the same regardless of size. It hits harder on the price per liter of the small can.

– Some people buy a small can and think they won’t drink a big one, says Rune Nikolaisen.

– It should preferably be done a little quickly and quickly. I think you can save a lot by checking the prices, he says.

He is particularly thinking of the Russians, who rarely have the fattest wallets.

– If I see a Russian studying the prices, I will think: Look there, a smart Russian, says Nikolaisen.

The bottle costs

In the main, we have stuck to lager and similar types of beer. We have checked prices in one store in each chain. For Oda, Meny and Spar, prices are checked online. The selection may vary from store to store. The overview therefore does not give a complete picture.

But one thing is certain. You can save a lot by being a little conscious when buying beer.