Most of France’s major supermarket chains are cutting their margins in order to protect purchasing power. At the government’s request, they promise to sell hundreds of products as cheaply as possible for the next three months.
Hundreds of millions of euros
Ministers have reached an agreement with supermarkets and are staging an “anti-inflation quarter” in which they will offer hundreds of products at “the lowest possible prices”. In exchange for their effort, the supermarkets will be allowed to start new price negotiations with suppliers in June. All major chains are participating, LSA reports, except for E.Leclerc.
The effort will cost hundreds of millions of euros, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire admits. Supermarkets can choose how many and which items to sell at these anti-inflation prices, the products involved will be identified by a common logo.
Different per location
Carrefour will put 150 products on the list, mostly private label items. Système U is also reducing the prices of 150 references, by 15 to 20 %. Intermarché will give 500 items the anti-inflation logo, saying it will cost the supermarket group almost 100 million euros. Only E.Leclerc refuses to participate: that chain stresses that it always has the lowest prices and calls on consumers to compare prices themselves via a new price comparison platform.
The chosen products do not have to be the same in all shops, the offer may differ by region or even shop. Carrefour, for example, chose the most relevant products per shop during roundtable discussions, depending on local eating habits. In a few days, the promotion is expected to be visible on shop shelves.
