‘Sweden has a poverty problem’: the social stores offering food at rock-bottom prices

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Rising food and energy prices are being felt across Europe. In the first part of a new series, we look at the impacts on daily life

roud and prosperous Sweden, with its famously generous welfare system and abundance of green energy, should – in theory – be better equipped than most European countries to bear a battering from the continent’s cost of living crisis.

But fast-rising electricity bills and surging food price inflation are taking their toll here as elsewhere. “Sweden also has a poverty problem,” said Johan Rindevall. “We may not talk about it much, but it’s there – and it’s absolutely got worse this year.”, or Food Mission, a unique chain of social supermarkets in Sweden that has expanded rapidly since January, more than doubling its customer numbers as it offers means-tested members the chance to shop for food for less.

Rindevall says Matmissionen works on the principle of sticking as close to a familiar shopping experience for its customers as it can. “Our focus groups show there’s a real stigma around food handouts. So we decided to let them buy what they want, albeit at a very steep discount … It’s just more empowering that way,” he says. “People want things to be as normal as possible.”

It is an offer that is increasingly needed. Sweden’s welfare system has been steadily cut back in recent years, widening the gap between rich and poor and leaving more and more people vulnerable to inflation that has averaged about 8% this autumn.

 

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Essentials SHOULD be cheap because theyre essentials. Shelter, water, food & clothing should be dirt cheap. Electricity, education, internet should be the next cheapest essentials. But because theyre *essential* we get held to random because providers know we just HAVE to pay.

Shame Aotearoa supermarkets are all about their own greed. Even when they did the winter crunch prices, it didn't include healthy products.

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