He enjoys playing the role of the White Knight serving consumers against voracious multinational corporations.
Michel-Edouard Leclerc, the president of the strategic committee of the E.Leclerc centers, took up his favorite themes during the RTL-LCI-
Le Figaro
Grand Jury .
The son of the brand's founder is alarmed by inflation and the risk of recession in the coming months.
The opportunity to come back to the commercial negotiations carried out by the distributors with the suppliers which will be completed at the end of February.
Suspected of making "
publicity stunts
" to defend the interests of large retailers, he protests: "
Ok I'm doing 'com' but it's concrete.
I posted on LinkedIn and on Twitter the incredible increases of 30 and 40% that we are being offered.
It is normal to ask Mars,
Nestlé
, Mondelez what justifies such increases.
The 'com' is a fight against inflation and recession
”.
The leader believes that he has opened the eyes of ministers and deputies concerning the bill tabled at the end of November by the Renaissance deputy for Val-de-Marne Frédéric Descrozaille.
It concerns the case of the absence of a commercial agreement between distributors and suppliers.
“
We were going to take a swig of inflation,
underlines Michel-Édouard Leclerc.
I made a post.
Bercy said 'I take it and I modify the text'.
The LR and Renaissance deputies did not know that their group was going to sign this… The suppliers never assume the price increases.
It is the distributors who bear the responsibility and the effects of ingratitude.
»
"Favor the competition"
The representative of the sign returned to the good performance of consumption during the holidays.
“
It was everywhere in France and in our stores.
Turnover is up compared to last year.
But in volume, we lost 1% compared to last year.
The French had fun.
With the Mondial and Black Friday, they bought screens.
Our brand has sold 130,000.
But the French have degraded their purchases with more private label and first price
”.
The leader, who has regretted in recent years that there is no consumer minister in the government, welcomes the arrival of the delegate minister in charge of Small and Medium Enterprises, Trade, Crafts and Tourism .
“
All the distributors have signed a charter with Olivia Grégoire in which we will take responsibility for the rise in energy costs from our suppliers when the State has not compensated for the increases.
Eventually we will have to pass it on to consumers, but today we are taking it on board.
It's quite 'friendly' isn't it?
Asked about Marine Le Pen's proposal to reduce VAT on ten basic necessities,
Michel Edouard Leclerc felt that " it can make sense
".
"
Blocking certain prices or lowering VAT rates can actually have an interest.
But what must be prioritized above all is competition
”.
Read alsoInflation: after the “historic shock” of 2022, what does 2023 really have in store for us?
“
I ask the state as little as possible.
I ask him to stop hitting on us and opposing other professions.
Two or three years ago, the State took an industrialist posture, reluctant with regard to trade.
We were in deflation.
He wanted to reverse the balance of power, introduce a law to protect the industrial sector.
Today with the return of inflation, I expect the State, which has no more money in the coffers, to consider that distribution can play a major role in reducing this inflation, which is a scourge. for the French people.
»