Is the meal voucher also becoming a shopping cart voucher? If the idea may appeal to consumers, it panics restaurateurs. Since 2022, in order to respond to high inflation, it is possible to do your shopping in a supermarket and to buy food products that are not directly consumable, such as rice, flour, pasta…
An exemption granted until December 31, 2024, which could well be extended by the new government, or even become permanent according to BFM-RMC information. The arbitration must be rendered in the coming days, specify our colleagues.
An extension that makes the Union of Hotel Trades and Industries (Umih) jump, which denounces in a press release dated September 24 a “Takeover bid by large retailers for meal vouchers. »
“A shortfall of 576 million euros”
“Since the entry into force of the extension to all food products, the market share of large and medium-sized supermarkets has increased by 8.4 points while that of restaurateurs has fallen by 6.4 points over the same period,” indicates the Umih. “Over one year, this represents a shortfall of 576 million euros for restaurateurs and a transfer of activity of 756 million euros for the benefit of mass distribution. »
Figures which worry restaurateurs all the more as they do not take into account the arrival of the LIDL group which decided, a few weeks ago, to accept meal vouchers. “Barely 40% of meal vouchers are now spent in restaurants,” further specifies the Umih, which urges the legislator not to “distort” the meal vouchers while inflation has fallen below the bar. 2%.
According to BFM-RMC, if it is extended or made permanent beyond December 31, a complete reform of the meal voucher is then planned. We would already be talking about a “double ceiling”. Understand, a maximum sum of 25 euros usable in restaurants and bakeries, and a lower ceiling in supermarkets.