The official end of the anti-inflation basket will not coincide with the end of inflation in supermarkets. This system launched by Bruno Le Maire in March aimed to cushion the impact of rising food prices on household budgets. The Minister of the Economy had invited distributors to compose their own basket of products intended to be sold at the “lowest possible price”. This was to represent “an effort of several hundred million euros”, assured Bruno Le Maire in March.
The operation was to end in June. Bruno Le Maire hoped that prices would calm down by this time, under the effect of price renegotiations between distributors and manufacturers. The ace. Come summer, inflation was still running at 15% year-on-year. The anti-inflation basket was therefore extended for six months, until December 12. The visuals labeled “anti-inflation baskets” will be kept in place until the end of the year.
“The objective of the anti-inflation basket was to offer an island of stability at a time when prices were rising sharply,” explains the office of Olivia Grégoire, the Minister of Commerce. From this point of view, the system has achieved its goal.” According to Bercy, the price of a total of 1,500 products referenced as part of this system fell by more than 10% between March and June.
Total food inflation, on the other hand, is only decreasing very slowly. In November, it was still 8.2% over one year and 21% over two years – over one month, prices fell by 0.2%. To accelerate the movement, the government put pressure on large manufacturers so that they agree to renegotiate their prices during the year. As a last resort, the deadline for annual trade negotiations was brought forward from the beginning of March to the end of January. Bercy still intends to achieve a slight drop in prices from February.
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Until then, promotional operations by distributors continue, with or without encouragement from the government. Système U will continue to sell a basket of 150 products at cost price in 2024. Auchan has just initiated a vast operation to reduce prices on its shelves. Carrefour will stop offering its 200 products at blocked prices from December 31, to initiate new promotional operations.
“The customer now no longer expects fixed prices, but price reductions,” explains the distributor. It has already lowered prices for 1,500 products, including Harry’s sandwich bread and Candia milk. Intermarché will also be “there again in January”. Competition between brands is undoubtedly more effective than government pressure.
