Since March 15 and for three months, most supermarkets have committed to selling a selection of products at the “lowest possible price”. An operation extended for an additional quarter, announced the Minister of the Economy.
The anti-inflation quarter in supermarkets will be “obviously” prolonged “one trimester”announced the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, reiterating his “determination” To “break the price spiral” by fall.
Since March 15 and for three months, most supermarkets have committed to selling a selection of products at the “lowest possible price“, formula leaving them a great freedom of maneuver. The objective for Bercy: to try to stem the galloping inflation on the shelves of supermarkets, still measured at nearly 16% over one year in March. “We are obviously going to extend (the operation) for an additional quarter because summer is hard“, said Bruno Le Maire, guest of the show “Quelle époque!” on France 2 Saturday night. “As the prices are not going to drop immediately, the distributors must commit themselves for next summer and they have done so, so much the better.”
“Break the price spiral”
Bruno Le Maire also “thanked” the agro-food manufacturers for accepting new trade negotiations “to lower prices”, “which means that, at the start of the school year in September October, we will have — in any case it is my determination — broke the price spiral“.
According to the government, “on average over the past seven weeks, prices of products in the anti-inflation quarter have fallen by 13% in the basket”, an analysis qualified as “fake” by the influential consumer association UFC-Que Choisir, which says it has noted small price increases in several brands.