Over the last few months Finnish consumers have significantly changed their food shopping habits, reports Finnish news agency STT on Sunday.
At the end of last year, food prices rose at the fastest clip since Finland joined the EU in 1995.
That said, consumers in Finland are putting fewer fruits and veggies in their carts, opting instead for cheaper alternatives, the S-Group and K-Group told STT.
These retail groups, which control over 80 percent of the market, said the biggest declines were in the sales of cucumber, lettuce and tomato, as prices of these items had significantly increased.
Food inflation is meanwhile driving shoppers toward store-brand essentials in K and S stores. Both retail groups said that consumers are increasingly paying attention to special discounts and products marked down for nearing their expiration date.
However, even before the recent surge in food inflation, groceries have cost more in Finland than in other EU states, ranking as one of the most expensive countries for food.
Yle's All Points North podcast has explored food inflation's winners and losers through the lens of Finland's supermarket duopoly.
