The French Government has reached an agreement with the large distributors in the country to offer the population a series of products at the lowest possible price and that they have already launched some chains like Carrefour or Intermarchéwhich have released packages with 200 and 500 items at reduced prices.
In an interview in Le Journal du Dimanchethe CEO of Carrefour, Alexandre Bompardexplained that the Carrefour basket, which will be available from March 15, will include a hundreds of food products considered “healthy”as yogurts, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetablesbut also preserves, frozen, bread, milk or cereals, and another 100 for daily usesuch as detergent or baby diapers, but also flour or biscuits, all with own brands.
[?INFO JDD] – @CarrefourFrance launch 200 products au prix moyen of 2 euros
Alexander @bompardPDG du géant de la distribution, dévoile le “panier anti-inflation” available from March 15.https://t.co/YYnaCBN5FZ
— Le JDD (@leJDD) March 4, 2023
Bombpard predicts that “the inflation level of food will continue to be double digits until this summer and it will probably rise above what it currently is”. The CEO of the French company estimates that the cost for his company of blocking prices for the products in the basket will be “several tens of millions of euros”. But he considers it pertinent with the argument that “we do everything possible so that inflation is not synonymous with regression in the quality of food”.
In Spain, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planashas valued “positively” the French government initiative and has made a call at Spanish companies to propose “similar initiatives in our country that lead to a price containmentbut always with Respect for the Food Chain Law and that it is not in detriment of the industry or of the producers“.
Related news
“We have repeatedly posed to distribution that contain food prices as much as possible. In France, some chain has already launched it and in Spain there have been partial proposalsbut everything has to be done in respect of the chain law“Planas has reiterated.
For her part, the Second Vice President and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Diaz, has celebrated the decision of the neighboring country, which is very similar to the one that she herself raised in September last year and which aroused numerous criticisms, including that of the socialist part of the government coalition. “Not only is it possible. I already proved that it is completely legal. It is possible to offer a basket of products, I said 20, but whatever, for a limited price. Article 13 of the retail trade law”, he argued, before concluding that this step is “completely legal” and “essential” so that “people can live a little happier”.