Christmas will be that much more expensive
Chocolate costs significantly more again this year than last. Other prices have stabilized in the meantime. However, if you don't want to cut back on food, trees and presents, you will have to be prepared to spend significantly more overall.
In view of inflation and the international crises, Germans are still in a low spending mood. A good half of employees receive a Christmas bonus, especially those who are paid according to collective agreements. But even at Christmas, money is no longer loose. According to a GFK survey, people only want to spend an average of €304 more on presents this year than last year. That is still less than in the pandemic years 2020 and 2021, when people spent more than EUR 320 each. According to the survey, around one in three people plan to cut back on gifts this year, while only one in four expect to spend more.
Those who have to save and give gifts to children will be particularly pleased to see that toy prices have risen significantly less than consumer prices overall. Last year, toys only cost around the same on average in October as they did in October 2021, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office. This is despite the fact that the overall inflation rate last year averaged 6.9 percent. In October of the current year, toys were now 2.9% more expensive than in the same month last year.
The situation is different when it comes to Christmas food, where food prices have risen much more sharply. According to the GFK survey, three quarters of households with a low net income plan to save on food for Christmas. No wonder: food was almost a third more expensive in October than in 2020. Compared to the same month last year, food now costs 6.1% more.
Chocolate another 13 percent more expensive
Meanwhile, the rise in meat prices has slowed somewhat, with meat still costing four percent more than in the same month last year. At that time, however, the year-on-year price jump was a whopping 19.3 percent. This year, some customers may have already gotten used to the expensive Christmas roast.
Saving money on chocolate will be more difficult. Here, the price increase in October was still 12.8 percent. In the same month last year, prices rose by 11.3%, which is not quite as much as for meat, for example. Compared to 2020, chocolates now also cost almost a third more.
Two euros more for the tree
The price increases for Christmas trees were not as steep as for food. According to the Federal Association of Christmas Tree Producers, customers spent an average of 36.70 euros last year, with the average tree being 1.70 meters tall. For this year, board member Christian Mai expects around two euros more, as he calculates in an interview with ntv.de. That would be around 5.5 percent more than last year.
The association estimates the current price range for a Nordmann fir - the most popular Christmas tree in Germany - at 21 to 29 euros per running meter. Last year, according to May, the range was still between 21 and 27 euros; on average, customers spent a good 2.50 euros more than in the previous year. Prior to that, prices had not been increased since 2019, although there were regional differences.
Those who need or want to save money on trees can do so for more than just the size. Manufacturers estimate the price per meter for blue spruce trees to be between 13 and 18 euros, while red spruce trees are even cheaper at 10 to 15 euros. In Mai's eyes, the investment is worthwhile in any case: the producer considers Christmas trees to be a beacon of hope.
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Despite the moderate increase in other prices, food prices for Christmas have seen a significant rise, with food now costing 6.1% more than last year. This inflation in consumer prices is affecting many households, with three quarters of households with a low net income planning to save on food for Christmas.
The price hike for Christmas chocolate is particularly notable, with prices rising by 13% in October compared to the same period last year, making it more expensive than meat which has seen a slower rise in prices.
Source: www.ntv.de
