The cost of food is still at a high level. Now Rewe and Edeka are demanding price reductions from their suppliers.
Kassel – Inflation is driving up food prices. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the inflation rate was 7.2 percent in April and thus remains at a comparatively high level. Although the federal government sees the first signs of an easing in the markets, the customers of Lidl, Aldi and Co. are far from feeling this in their wallets.
Now, however, retailers are pushing the food industry to lower prices. According to research by Lebensmittelzeitung, the supermarket giants Edeka and Rewe are calling for purchase prices to be lowered in the short term. Finally, the cost of raw materials and energy has also fallen, which was previously used to justify a price increase for producers. This is once again igniting the price war between retailers and manufacturers.
Rewe and Edeka call for price reductions: "Don't jeopardize consumer confidence"
As the Lebensmittelzeitung reported, Edeka and Rewe have sent the first letters to the suppliers. For example, Edeka noted that prices for important raw materials such as grain or vegetable oils had fallen by half in some cases compared to the previous year. In addition, electricity and gas have also left the "historic highs far behind". Therefore, quick action is now needed "so as not to jeopardize the competitiveness of our merchants and consumer confidence," the newspaper quoted the retailer as saying.
Rewe and Edeka threaten to discontinue products if suppliers do not comply with their demands for lower prices. © Sven Hoppe/dpa
Rewe also demanded lower purchase prices. "Currently, commodity prices are falling massively. For this reason, we expect an improved offer for new purchase prices from you." Apparently, some suppliers only have about a week to comply with this. Otherwise, supermarkets threaten to ban products from their shelves, it said.
However, it is currently not known how many and which ones this could be. In recent months, price disagreements have already shown that products – including those from popular brands – can be removed from the range. For example, there are no more Mars bars at Edeka.
Will supermarket products soon fly off the shelf? The first demands were already made in autumn
According to the industry magazine, Edeka had not responded to inquiries from the Lebensmittelzeitung. The situation is different at Rewe: The supermarket expects the price reductions to be passed on directly to retailers. As early as last autumn, retailers demanded an easing of prices from their manufacturers. However, not much has changed for consumers.
Reported repeatedly suggested that prices for certain foods were becoming more expensive. An analysis recently showed how much more it costs to buy in a discounter. (kas)
