The e-kalathi platform can be used to manipulate prices — consumer rights advocates warn

The Cyprus Consumers’ Association has expressed serious concerns about price manipulation on the e-kalathi platform, which is supposed to help people find the cheapest supermarkets.

According to the Association, instead of transparent price comparisons, the platform may mislead buyers.

What is e-kalathi and what is the problem?

E-kalathi launched in June 2025. The idea was simple: show prices in different supermarkets, increase competition, and reduce shopping costs. But after 7 months, according to the Consumers’ Association, this has not happened.

Checks in January 2026 showed the following:

• Some supermarkets artificially lower prices only on products included in e-kalathi;

• Similar products of the same brand, but not included in the platform, are sold at significantly higher prices.

As a result, a supermarket appears “cheap” on e-kalathi, but a regular shopping basket is actually more expensive.

Example:

Strawberry-flavored children’s yogurt:

• The strawberry version is in e-kalathi → price is low

• Other flavors of the same yogurt in the store → price is higher

This creates a distorted picture of which supermarket is actually cheaper.

Other concerning points:

• Only 1 of 7 major supermarkets has uploaded its full assortment to e-kalathi

• The number of products on the platform is gradually decreasing

• Prices vary even across branches of the same chain

• The difference between the most expensive and the cheapest supermarket fell from 13% in summer 2025 to 4.4% in January 2026, which looks suspicious

The Consumers’ Association warns: in its current form, e-kalathi may mislead buyers and requires an official inspection.