Eight months after its implementation, the e-kalathi platform has not met its intended objectives, according to the Cyprus Consumer Association. The organisation states that product availability across participating supermarkets remains uneven, limiting meaningful comparison for consumers.
Its conclusions are based exclusively on data recorded on the e-kalathi platform.
Product availability across supermarkets
According to the Cyprus Consumer Association, of the seven supermarkets that were announced in January as offering the full list of 248 absolutely common products, only two had the complete list by the end of February.
In two other supermarkets with nationwide store coverage, the total number of listed products is described as extremely low. The Association states that this significantly restricts consumers’ ability to compare products included in the platform with those offered by other supermarkets.
Assessment after eight months of implementation
The Cyprus Consumer Association notes that the platform has now completed eight months of operation. Based on current indications, it concludes that it has largely failed to achieve its purpose and objectives.
Price comparison data
Comparing the cost of 196 common products in the two cheapest supermarkets on 28 February 2026, the Association reports that during the first two months of 2026 an average increase was observed in the prices of products included in the platform.
Specifically, the average overall increase in the number of products contained in the platform during the first two months of 2026 showed a marginal rise of 0.77 per cent. However, when compared with August 2025, a marginal decrease of 0.51 per cent is recorded.
Observations on price formation
The Cyprus Consumer Association further states that daily monitoring of product prices on the platform provides strong indications that pricing is significantly influenced by the pricing policies of competing supermarkets.
As an example, it notes that one supermarket increased its prices while its competitor did not, and reduced them the following day.
The above findings, the Association emphasises, are based and documented exclusively on the data recorded on the e-kalathi platform.