Brazilians have exchanged lunch for snacks in the face of rising prices, research shows

A report produced by the consultancy Kantar that analyzes the consumption of families points out that Brazilians have changed their meals to snacks to circumvent the increase in food prices.

According to the survey, to compensate for high prices and meet the need to eat out, consumers prioritize snacks (snacks or snacks) over full meals, which require four times the outlay. While the average value of a complete meal is R$ 43.94 (up 21% compared to the 1st quarter of last year), the average of cats with snacks is R$ 10.43 (up 11%) .

Another data pointed out in the survey reveals that, in the first quarter of this year, families reduced spending outside the home and prioritized consumption within the home. The change is justified by the impacts of inflation, with the rise in product prices.

Also according to the consultancy, spending on massive consumption at home represents 52% of the family budget. For classes D and E, this household expenditure represents 60% of consumption.

According to research manager Hudson Romano, since the minimum wage is out of step with food prices, replacing meals with snacks was the alternative found to avoid inflation.

“The big problem is no longer that restaurants and bars are closed, but as the pocket tightened, Brazilians don’t have any more money to spend. We didn’t have the same impact of inflation on wages. So snacks were a cost-effective option and people are increasingly looking for that. Like it or not, just like meals, snacks have levels of calories and carbohydrates to satiate a person”, analyzes the manager.

Romano also highlights that expenses are subdivided into each social class. He explains that the upper classes tend to spend money on day-to-day accounts, while the lower classes are more concerned with food.

“Supply consumption represents everything from food and beverages to cleaning products. When we look at the higher social classes, such as A and B, the higher consumption of expenses goes to gasoline and electricity bills, while in class D and E, for example, as this consumer’s pocket is tighter, the priority is food. So it is possible to see that in the research”, he points out.

The average quarterly spending at home went from R$1,329 in the first quarter of last year to R$1,369 in the same period this year (up 3%). The average quarterly spending fell. It went from BRL 288 in the first three months of 2021 to BRL 278 in the first quarter of 2022 (a decrease of 3.4%).

The consultancy also evaluated the average price per product in the first three months of the year, compared to the same period in 2021. In all seven regions analyzed (North/Northeast; Midwest; East/Interior of Rio; Grande Rio; Grande São Paulo; interior of São Paulo and South region), had high prices.

The most impressive increases in the comparison between the first three months of 2022 and 2021 were in the interior of Rio de Janeiro (+ 16.4%), in the interior of SP (+ 15.6%) and in the Midwest (+ 15 .3%). In Greater São Paulo, the increase was 14.4%, in the North and Northeast regions of 14.2%, in Greater Rio of 12.9% and in the South region of 12.9%.

Although the increase was greater in the interior of two regions, Romano explains that the impact ends up being greater in the other regions, since most of the population is concentrated in large territories.

“Usually, Greater São Paulo and Greater Rio are the places that move the most. When you look at the interior of these places, due to their smaller size in relation to the population, there are greater variations, but the greater expenditure occurs in places where there is a greater concentration of purchasing power. It is normal to have a change in the ticket, as these places can pay more for the products”, he says.

Illustrating the impacts of rising prices, consumers reduced the products in their shopping carts. The national average in relation to the number of items in the cart was 15 in the first quarter of last year, and went to 13 in the same period this year.