The e-Kalathi platform has proven to be far below consumer expectations and of very limited usefulness, according to a statement by the Cyprus Consumers Association.

“Unfortunately, the promises we were given have been completely broken, and consumers are once again left unprotected,” the Association added.

According to the Association, just one week after its launch, several serious shortcomings have been identified. Although it was initially promised that the basket would include up to 3,000 products, it was ultimately launched with only 478 items. Furthermore, it was promised that consumers would be able to view the total cost of their basket, but this feature is practically and technically unavailable. Consumers must check each product individually to find the cheapest supermarket.

“There is no functionality for comparing prices within a specific distance from the consumer’s home. Price comparisons can only be made within each district. Additionally, there is no way to identify common products across baskets in different supermarkets, making direct comparisons impossible. Deliberately, the platform does not allow for the comparison of an entire basket’s total cost between supermarkets,” the Association states.

The Cyprus Consumers Association also noted that organized consumer groups were deliberately excluded from offering feedback throughout the consultation process and during the platform’s development. The Association argues that the platform does not promote competition between supermarkets.

On the contrary, just a week after the platform's launch, there are strong indications that competition has actually decreased. Specifically, among 27 supermarkets operating a total of 148 stores, within a basket of 71 products:

• Seven supermarkets increased their total product prices.

• Seven supermarkets reduced them.

• Thirteen made no changes at all.

Moreover, five supermarkets reduced the number of their listed products, while one increased its product count.

“In light of the above, e-Kalathi has sadly proven to fall far short of consumer expectations, and its usefulness is very limited. It is disappointing that, once again, consumers remain without meaningful support,” the statement concludes.