The government has decided: there will be no anti-inflation basket common to all distributors, contrary to what had been put forward by the various ministers since December.
Le
Figaro
, the Ministry of the Economy claims to favor a formula on a case-by-case basis, which according to them allows them to be able to touch more products, and over a longer period, of at least three months.
“
Ultimately, consumers are winners,
we guarantee Bercy.
This basket is not an end, but a tool to lower the bill, and this will be possible thanks to this device.
»
This confirms the words of Alexandre Bompard, CEO of Carrefour.
In the JDD, he explained that he had reached an agreement with the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire.
“
He decided to leave everyone the freedom to define the operations of their choice
”, explains the leader in the columns of the weekly.
And to praise the “
full autonomy of action
” that this gives them: “
The result will be all the more powerful.
»
200 two-euro products at Carrefour
If Carrefour had already introduced a basket of fifteen fruits and vegetables sold for less than euros last year, this is a much broader device.
From mid-March, the brand will offer 200 products on average at two euros, and at fixed prices until mid-June.
"
It's our way of mobilizing for the purchasing power of our customers
", comments Carrefour in
Figaro
.
This concerns one hundred everyday products (flour, biscuits, detergent, nappies) and one hundred other labeled "
healthy
" (yogurts, eggs, fresh vegetables, bread, milk, cereals), all with a Nutri-Score A and B, in the Carrefour and Simpl brands.
The composition of this “
essential and nutrition
” basket was determined during round tables with customers.
It will be marketed in the linear of its 5945 French stores within ten days, indicates Alexandre Bompard.
The latter specifies that this represents an investment of “
several tens of millions of euros
”.
Read also“Anti-inflation basket”: faced with difficulties, the executive ready to hand over to distributors
“Indispensable dynamics”
At the same time, Intermarché is launching its campaign this Sunday, March 5, with 500 anti-inflation products, including 470 under its own brands and 30 fresh foods from traditional shelves - meat, fish, fruit or vegetables.
“
It is thanks to its own factories and its work to squeeze margins that Intermarché can offer its customers products under its own brands at affordable prices
,” they write in the press release.
Thierry Cotillard, president of Groupement Les Mousquetaires, also stresses that this initiative “
is part of the essential dynamics that all responsible players must accelerate, in the service of consumer purchasing power and our economy
”.
Intermarché will also offer, each week, a selection of three traditional fresh products from its butchery, seafood, fruit and vegetable departments, at “
unbeatable prices
”.
In addition, their competitor System U had announced at the beginning of February, its basket of “
150
products at cost price
”, for an “
indefinite period
”.
For his part, E. Leclerc relies on a price comparison.
“We are attacking inflation from every angle by spreading out the increases but also by taking on our margins, item by item, to continue to be the cheapest.
And to prove it, beyond a major program of promotions, you need to be able to compare and be reassured”
, justifies Michel-Edouard Leclerc, president of the strategic committee on his blog.
The brand intends to publish regular reports of these comparisons, hoping to "
revive competition
" and that everyone "
aligns downward
".
Read also“I am not poor, and I go there”: in Paris, Aldi and Lidl are increasingly attracting the wealthy classes
A device that protects “all French people”
This echoes Christiane Lambert's statement this Saturday on France Info.
The president of the FNSEA (National Federation of Farmers' Unions) said that she had met Bruno Le Maire at the Agricultural Show and that he had confirmed to her that the anti-inflation basket "will not
happen
".
Instead, the government is asking “
distributors to make zero margin on certain products
,” she added.
The Ministry of the Economy agrees with Le
Figaro
:
"We do not expect farmers or SMEs
to make an effort, but large groups."
Indeed, inflation picked up again in February, by 6.2% over one year, after 6% in January.
An increase attributable to the jump in food prices of 14.5% over one year, according to INSEE.
In response, at the start of the week, the Minister of the Economy promised at the start of the week the imminent establishment of a device which protects “all French people”.
Bruno Le Maire mentioned the desire "
to offer a way out to all consumers who are struggling to make ends meet
", assuring in passing that "
everyone is affected by food inflation
".
He then called on distributors and manufacturers to "
do their part of the way
".
And to insist: “
Not everything can be paid for by the State
”.
