At the Parliament’s Pricing Commission session, Archil Melikadze, CEO of Ori Nabiji, said that prices for several basic consumer goods in Georgia are up to 2.5 times lower than in major European retail chains. The company conducted a quick internal comparison, measuring prices in its stores against those in France’s leading supermarket networks (including Carrefour).
Melikadze stressed that Georgia’s retail market remains highly fragmented despite Ori Nabiji’s turnover approaching GEL 2 billion last year. With only an 8% market share, he said large chains have limited influence on final prices, which are still determined mainly by market dynamics rather than individual retailers.
Presenting the company’s findings, Melikadze highlighted that commonly consumed, non-branded products remain significantly cheaper in Georgia. For example, one liter of sunflower oil costs GEL 4.5 locally, compared to €1.75 (GEL 5.40) in French Carrefour. Bananas sell for GEL 3.90 per kilogram in Georgia, whereas the lowest price found in Auchan France was €3.19 (GEL 10). He added that similar differences were observed for bread, white rice and sugar.
“Across all these essential items, our prices are roughly two-and-a-half times lower than in Europe,” Melikadze told MPs, emphasizing the need for accurate and detailed comparisons when discussing price levels.
