Best price in Romania: how to find the lowest store prices
The best price isn’t necessarily the lowest number on a label. It’s the lowest price for the same product, in the store you actually get to. Here’s how to find it, whether you look at the prices in the stores near you or on their websites.
1. Compare the same product, not similar ones
A 140 g yogurt and a 400 g one can’t be compared by the shelf label. The barcode identifies exactly the product, so a price found by its code tells you whether it’s the same goods at a better price or something else.
If the sizes differ, compare the price per kilo or per litre, not the label price.
2. Check which store the price is for
Prices can change from one store to another, even within the same chain. A price on a store’s website isn’t always the one on the shelf of the store in your neighbourhood. Before you rely on a price, look at the city and the store it’s shown for.
3. Look at the date of the price
A price from a month ago says little about today. Prices change often, so an old price isn’t a good one to compare.
4. Bring the prices together in one place
Opening each chain’s website in turn is slow. I do that for you: you scan the barcode and I show you the price of the same product in several stores, with the lowest price first and the distance to each one.
Step by step: how to compare prices by scanning a barcode.
5. Count the trip
A price that’s a few bani lower isn’t worth a long trip. Choose among nearby stores and weigh what you save against what the trip costs.
6. Compare the whole basket
One store can have the best price on one product and the highest on another. If you have a whole list, compare it as a whole: the cheapest supermarket for your basket.
Worth remembering
Right now I compare the Iași stores of Carrefour, Auchan, Mega Image, Kaufland, Selgros, Cobyul and dm. I collect the prices automatically (scraping) from the stores’ public data, their websites and data feeds, and bring them together in one place. They can differ from what you see in the store, and the final price is always the one at the checkout.
What’s next
Want to see all the ways to compare? Read price comparison in Romania: 4 ways. For everyday savings: cheap groceries in Romania, 7 ways to pay less. And to try it, the home page takes you straight to the app.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I find the best price for a product?
- Compare exactly the same product, with the same barcode and the same size, in several stores. Then look at the price per kilo or per litre and the distance to the store.
- Are in-store prices and the stores' website prices the same?
- Not always. The online price can differ from the shelf price in the store near you, so always check which store it's shown for.
- Where can I see prices from several stores in one place?
- In Economisescu you scan the barcode and see the product's price in the Iași stores of Carrefour, Auchan, Mega Image, Kaufland, Selgros, Cobyul and dm, with the lowest price first.
- Where do Economisescu's prices come from?
- I collect them automatically (scraping) from the stores' public data, their websites and data feeds, and bring them together in one place. They can differ from what you see in the store, and the final price is always the one at the checkout.