Residents buying the same 88 grocery items on St. Thomas face price swings of up to $115.49 depending on where they shop, according to findings released by the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs this week.
The comparison, based on a survey conducted during the week of October 19, showed Pueblo Long Bay with the lowest total at $505.13, while Food Center charged $620.62 for identical goods. That represents roughly a 23 percent premium at the highest-priced store.
Cost gaps appeared across all three main islands. St. Croix shoppers encountered a $43.18 spread between the cheapest and most expensive supermarkets surveyed, while St. John residents saw a $45.38 difference.
Individual items tell a sharper story
When broken down by product, the variations became even more striking. A 16-ounce bottle of olive oil sold for $7.99 at Pueblo locations but $22.50 at Food Center. Toilet paper in four-pack form ranged from $2.39 at The Market to $9 at Food Center.
Yet no single retailer held the lowest price across all products. Food Center offered New York strip steak at $18.99 per pound, undercutting The Market at $19.99 and Pueblo Long Bay at $20.39. Tea bags cost $3.30 at Food Center but $4.79 at Pueblo stores.
How stores ranked on each island
On St. Thomas, Pueblo Long Bay led the rankings, trailed by The Market at $511.84, Pueblo Subbase at $528.06 and Food Center at $620.62.
On St. Croix, Pueblo Golden Rock came in lowest at $415.44, followed by Pueblo La Reine at $425.33, The Market at $425.47, Plaza Extra at $429.57 and Stop and Shop at $458.62.
On St. John, Pine Peace Mini Mart recorded the smallest basket total at $272.47, with Starfish Market at $290.01 and St. John Market at $317.85.
What consumers should know
DLCA Commissioner Nathalie Hodge released the results as part of the Supermarket Comparative Study, which monitors prices of identical items across participating retailers to help shoppers make informed decisions.
The department noted that the number of products included varies by island because the survey only counts items stocked at every participating supermarket on that island: 88 on St. Thomas, 90 on St. Croix and 49 on St. John.
Consumers should compare prices before shopping and focus on the cost of products they buy regularly rather than relying solely on a supermarket's overall ranking, the agency advised.
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