Shoppers purchasing the same 88 grocery items on St. Thomas could pay as much as $115.49 more depending on which supermarket they visit, according to the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs' latest price comparison, which also identified differences of $43.18 on St. Croix and $45.38 on St. John.
The survey, conducted during the week of October 19 and released Tuesday, October 27, found that Pueblo Long Bay offered the lowest overall grocery basket on St. Thomas at $505.13, compared with $620.62 at Food Center. The difference means the same selection of products cost approximately 23 percent more at the highest-priced supermarket.
On St. Croix, Pueblo Golden Rock recorded the lowest total among five supermarkets surveyed, while Pine Peace Mini Mart offered the least expensive basket among three participating stores on St. John.
DLCA Commissioner Nathalie Hodge announced the results as part of the department's Supermarket Comparative Study, which tracks the prices of identical grocery items available at participating stores to help consumers compare costs.
The agency cautioned that the number of products included differs by island because only items available for comparison at every participating supermarket on that island are counted. The latest survey covered 90 items on St. Croix, 88 on St. Thomas and 49 on St. John.
On St. Thomas, Pueblo Long Bay's $505.13 total was followed by The Market at $511.84, Pueblo Subbase at $528.06 and Food Center at $620.62.
The prices of individual products varied considerably. A 16-ounce container of olive oil cost $7.99 at both Pueblo locations, compared with $13.99 at The Market and $22.50 at Food Center.
A four-pack of toilet paper was available for $2.39 at The Market, compared with $3.29 at either Pueblo location and $9 at Food Center.
However, Food Center was not the most expensive option for every item. A 20-count package of tea bags cost $3.30 there, compared with $3.49 at The Market and $4.79 at both Pueblo locations. Food Center also offered New York strip steak for $18.99 per pound, below the $19.99 at The Market and $20.39 at Pueblo Long Bay.
On St. Croix, the survey found that Pueblo Golden Rock had the lowest total for the 90-item basket at $415.44. Pueblo La Reine followed at $425.33, with The Market at $425.47, Plaza Extra at $429.57 and Stop and Shop Supermarket at $458.62.
The $43.18 difference between Pueblo Golden Rock and Stop and Shop represented approximately 10 percent of the lowest-priced basket.
As on St. Thomas, the supermarket with the lowest overall total did not necessarily offer the cheapest price for every product.
For example, a five-pound bag of white rice cost $4.19 at Stop and Shop, compared with $4.99 at Pueblo Golden Rock. The Market offered the same quantity for $4.49.
A pound of chicken breast was least expensive at The Market, where it cost $4.39, compared with $4.99 at both Pueblo locations and Stop and Shop, and $5.99 at Plaza Extra.
On St. John, Pine Peace Mini Mart recorded the lowest total for the 49-item basket at $272.47, followed by Starfish Market at $290.01 and St. John Market at $317.85.
The difference of $45.38 between the lowest and highest totals represented approximately 17 percent of Pine Peace's basket price.
Individual products again showed substantial variation. A 16-ounce bottle of olive oil cost $13.99 at Pine Peace, compared with $23.49 at Starfish and $32.95 at St. John Market.
Starfish, however, offered the lowest price for five pounds of white rice at $6.39, compared with $9.99 at Pine Peace and $10.95 at St. John Market.
The latest findings also show changes in which supermarkets offered the lowest overall basket compared with the department's previous survey for the week of September 21.
As previously reported by the Consortium, Pueblo La Reine held the lowest basket total on St. Croix in that survey, while Pueblo Subbase was the least expensive on St. Thomas. Pine Peace also ranked lowest on St. John.
The latest survey places Pueblo Golden Rock first on St. Croix and Pueblo Long Bay first on St. Thomas, while Pine Peace maintains its position on St. John.
However, the number of items compared has changed between survey periods. The September 21 survey included 97 items on St. Croix, 91 on St. Thomas and 46 on St. John, meaning differences in overall basket totals between the two surveys cannot be treated as direct measurements of price increases or decreases.
Likewise, the different basket sizes used on each island mean the total costs cannot be used to conclude that groceries are generally more expensive on one island than another.
DLCA also provided a separate territory-wide comparison identifying the lowest surveyed prices for products available at every participating supermarket across the three islands.
The department encouraged consumers to compare prices before shopping and consider the costs of the particular products they regularly purchase, rather than relying exclusively on a supermarket's overall ranking.
