In France, the price of five thousand products does not change

By: Trademagazin Date: 2023. 09. 01. 11:32

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire announced that the prices of 5,000 products will not increase or decrease in stores in the near future, and that the price negotiations between manufacturers and supermarkets, usually starting at the end of the year, for 2024 will be brought forward to September.

The government’s goal is to “achieve a price reduction from January 2024,” the head of the ministry announced on Thursday on France 2 public television at the end of the discussions with the players of the French food chain on Wednesday and Thursday. He indicated that the drop in wholesale prices will be transferred “immediately and obligatorily” to the prices of the products offered on store shelves, and that this will be checked by the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Protection and Anti-Fraud (DGCCRF), under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy.

Bruno Le Maire believed that manufacturers “could do a lot more” to combat rising prices, singling out giants Unilever, Nestlé and Pepsi. At the same time, he welcomed manufacturers that have announced price cuts, such as pasta specialist Barilla and oil giant Avril, whose president, Arnaud Rousseau, recently took over the leadership of the main farming union, FNSEA.

In April, the then Trade Minister Olivia Grégoire promised that by the start of the new school year, “there will be a visible price reduction on the supermarket shelves”, but for now consumers will not be able to experience this.