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The logo of the “anti-inflation quarter” operation was unveiled on Monday 6 March.
CONSUMPTION – A blue, white, red basket. In an attempt to put out the fire of inflation on food products on the eve of the mobilization on pensions, the government announced on Monday March 6 a « trimestre anti-inflation ». This commercial operation, which also includes a food voucher, which should see the light of day in 2023, aims to offer “the lowest possible price” on a selection of “hundreds” of products left to the choice of distributors. All of this should last until June, according to the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire.
The products concerned will be identifiable by a tricolor logo, as you can see in the tweet below, published by the President of Système U, Dominique Schelcher. This visual was discussed during a meeting this morning between Bruno Le Maire and the main representatives of the sector, except E.Leclerc. Bercy has also confirmed that it would be this label that would be attached.
The French will soon be able to spot the products of the Anti-Inflation Quarter behind this logo in the stores of…
— Dominique Schelcher (@schelcher)
It is above all distributor brand products that will be concerned, i.e. those which, such as Reflets de France, Marque Repère, Marque U, are owned by the brands and do not fall within the framework of annual negotiations with manufacturers. .
So that French consumers can easily identify them, these operations will be labeled with a lo…
— Bruno Le Maire (@BrunoLeMaire)
Distrust of the UFC-Que Choisir
It will cost “several hundred million euros” to large retailers, according to the minister. To finance this operation, the brands will draw on their margins. But some did not wait for this announcement to launch their own commercial operations, via anti-inflation baskets, intended to attract or retain their customers in a context where consumers are looking for low prices or promotions.
The political stakes are major for the government, which has been working for months with the sector to try to control the soaring food prices, estimated at 14.5% in one year in February by INSEE. Initially, the project promoted by the Minister Delegate in particular for Trade Olivia Grégoire focused on a “anti-inflation basket” common to all supermarkets, which would have allowed consumers to compare prices between brands, but large retailers had slowed down.
It is now a question of offering consumers the “lowest possible price”an uninviting formulation, criticized by the consumer association UFC-Que Choisir.
“In the absence of a regulatory definition on these prices, an allegedly ‘broken’ price could only be the usual price”had explained in early February to AFP Olivier Andrault, responsible for the agriculture / food mission of this association.
Bruno Le Maire assured Monday that the services of his ministry would carry out checks in stores to ensure that the distributors will not weigh the commercial operation on their agro-industrial or agricultural suppliers.
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