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Bermuda's Costs of Food & Liquor Shopping

Prices for residents and visitors at local supermarkets

By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us) at e-mail exclusively for Bermuda Online

To refer to this file use "bermuda-online.org/costoflivingguide2.htm" as your Subject

Food shopping

Bermuda is completely reliant on food being shipped in, usually weekly. One of the few things that isn't imported is the carrot. But for almost everything else on your grocery list, residents have to purchase overseas goods which have been shipped from the US. This means that rising fuel prices can impact Bermuda much more heavily than other countries because food must be shipped to the Island and then transported to the stores. Factor in the rising cost of electricity, as well as a myriad of other issues grocery stores are facing and it is easy to see how the price of food is rising. Consumers should also know the Bermuda Government has a food tax, a 22.5% rate of import duty on all items made with sugar; 10% on the price of bread and pasta and related products and 5% on meat, fish, fruit and vegetables.

Bermuda prices for oranges, lemons and limes, October 2008. Royal Gazette photos.

A basic list of current prices in Bermuda in US or BD$. 

• Newcomers from America, Britain, Canada and Europe should note these prices carefully and compare them to what they pay at the most popular grocery outlets at home, to get their own ideas of cost of living differentials. 
• Americans should note that Bermuda prices at supermarkets are 2-3 times more, on average, than in US supermarkets. Food has an average tax rate of 9.5% at wholesale; alcohol and cigarettes 32.5%).
• Hugely increased costs of oil and gas and their repercussions on the costs of transporting food have meant that in the last two years especially, regular weekly staples such as bread, milk, evaporated milk, orange juice, cereal, yogurt, chicken, and basic cheese, none of which are gourmet treats, have almost doubled in price. Has the government lowered  its duty rates accordingly? No.
• Britons who have been used to shopping at ASDA (a UK division of Wal-mart) or Sainsbury's or Tesco or Waitrose or Lidl UK - collectively they control about 85 percent of the food sold in Britain - will note that shrimp and American meats (USDA inspected) are less expensive but practically everything else is far more expensive in Bermuda.  
• Canadians from the Toronto area should compare the following prices in Bermuda with those at Loblaw's. 
• In Bermuda, grocery stores (some of which also sell liquor) accept cash or checks or local bank debit cards. Some stores will give a 5 percent discount on certain days, check with the local store you prefer. Fresh fruit and vegetable prices can vary according to season. Your comments and feedback, other prices, etc are welcome and should be sent via e-mail to this author.
• All items are imported (99% are) unless otherwise stated.
• Stores are welcome to e-mail this author with their prices if lower than shown, for correction. (Prices shown exclude any weekly discount).

Price Control Commission

This was initiated in July 2011 to look into the price of food on the Island to ensure consumers are protected from “unwarranted increases’ the Premier announced. In her budget brief for the Ministry of Finance in March 2011, she made the following statement: ‘Recently, the prices of food staples in global commodity markets have risen in worrying leaps. The Ministry of Finance has considered the implications for Bermuda and the policy options available to Government. Given that Bermuda imports substantial proportions of the food consumed on Island, we are in the position of ‘price takers’. In these circumstances, a regime of price controls could have unintended consequences including the disruption of supply lines. Accordingly, Government will use the powers of enquiry available under the Price Commission Act 1974 to obtain information from food importers about their import costs and margins to ensure that consumers are protected from unwarranted price increases. Indeed, subsequent to this statement, both the Bermuda Public Services Union and the Bermuda Industrial Union have publicly echoed my own concerns. The Price Control Commission has been empanelled and gazetted. The members of the Commission are Lucia Peniston, Anthony Richardson and Daniel Reece.” The Commission has specific terms-of-reference which include:

1. Obtaining the relevant economic data from the Department of Statistics to identify the essential goods and services that should be the focus of the enquiry;

2. Inviting interest groups, consumers and individual Bermudians, who wish to provide data, statistics and other information, to make submissions to the Commission;

3. Inviting input from wholesalers; supermarkets; convenience stores, discount stores, other businesses and services that provide essential goods and services;

4. Consulting with the various unions including: the Bermuda Trade Union Congress, the Bermuda Industrial Union, the Bermuda Public Services Union, the Fire Services Union, Bermuda Union of Teachers, the Prison Officers Union, etc;

5. Consulting with the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation, and employer groups including the Chamber of Commerce, Bermuda Employers Council, etc;

6. Obtaining information from shipping companies and other importers regarding the current cost of shipping, both air and freight;

7. Producing a report for the Minister recommending how Government can assist in ensuring that consumers can get the most reasonable price for essential goods and services. 

This will be a collaborative team effort between Government, suppliers, retailers and consumers.

Supermarkets

Most are open every day from 8 am to 10 pm (except Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm) and have a 5 percent discount on food each Wednesday. 

Newcomers from UK and Europe will find local supermarkets do not have

• Coin trolley locks, as a result of which carelessly discarded trolleys (shopping carts) often litter the parking areas.
• Their own petrol stations offering discounts.

Plus most pay stations - cashiers - do not have automatic price scanning, which mean queues - lines - take longer.

Supermarket prices

A-B

C

D-I

J-O

Mango salad with vegetables

P-S

Pablova dessert

T-Z

Liquor 

All supermarkets also stock liquor. Sundays are the only day it cannot be sold by supermarkets or normally closed on Sunday liquor merchants below. Visitors are advised to bring a bottle. Prices in Bermuda at retail are sometimes nearly double what they are in the USA - and more than they are in most other countries such as Canada and UK. Prices below are an average of prices of supermarkets and liquor merchants, for local consumption. 

• Carlsburg Elephant beer, case. From $53.00
• Cointreau. 1 liter bottle. From $41.
• Goslings Black Seal Rum, bottled and blended locally, 1 liter. From $29
• Muirhead's Blue Seal whisky, Scotland. 1 liter. From $33 
• Inver House whisky. Green Plaid. 1 liter From $33.
• Canadian Club whisky. Blended Canadian. 1 liter. From $38. 
• Riunite Peach Blush wine, 1.5 liter from $27. 
• Sangiovese Di Puglia wine 1999. 1.5 liters from $28.00.  
• Mateus Rose wine, 0.75 liter $22.65 (compared to £6.80 or $10.60 in UK at Tesco or Somerfield)
• Table wine, 5 liter bottle, $58. 

Prices are less for residents going overseas if ordered beforehand for delivery after checking in at the airport for outward flights.

Liquor merchants  

Include: