The Spanish supermarkets have already accumulated more than 130 million euros in energy surcharges since the outbreak of the Middle East war, in the midst of a high inflation scenario, according to the Spanish Association of Distributors, Self-services, and Supermarkets (Asedas), which includes chains such as Mercadona, Lidl, Dia, Ahorramas, or Aldi, among others.
In September, the general inflation in Spain stood at 4.9%, six tenths above the previous month, driven mainly by fuels and tourist packages.
The employers' association emphasizes that the upward trend in fuel and energy prices, intensified since the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East, directly affects supermarkets, which already bear an additional cost of over 130 million euros, equivalent to between 20 and 25 million additional each month.
This increase in supply costs borne by distribution chains is concentrated in three major blocks: electricity, fuels, and raw materials used in plastic packaging.
In the energy sector, companies show concern about the sharp rise in electrical adjustment services, which have recorded a 53% increase compared to October 2025, with an immediate impact on the electricity bill and logistics costs. The increase in diesel prices, 35.5% more compared to October 2025, is straining the cost structure of transportation and, consequently, the supply and distribution processes.
In addition, there is the increase in packaging costs, derived from the effect of the Middle East war on the petrochemical industry of plastic, with a 25% increase in plastic raw materials in the last year.
The food CPI remains more moderate
Despite this scenario of rising costs, the employers' association recalls that the food CPI continues to show a much more contained evolution than the general index, with an annual rate of 2.7% in September, more than two points below global inflation.
Asedas values that the efficiency of the agri-food chain and the role of food distribution act as a brake for the consumer, while the high competition among supermarkets helps keep final prices as tight as possible and for as long as possible.
Likewise, the diversity of assortments, brands, and store formats available offers the consumer room to cope with the increase in the cost of the shopping basket. According to their calculations, the so-called "downtrading" effect can reduce the impact of inflation on food prices by up to three times.
Asedas has reiterated that the chain is "functioning efficiently," something that, in their opinion, is evident in the containment observed since March in food product prices, even in a context of widespread inflation.