From March and for a period of three months, an anti-inflation basket will be offered in supermarkets. The Système U brand has already launched, on February 1, an offer of 150 products at cost price, and there are around fifty products at Lidl. What does the anti-inflation basket contain?
According to the INSEE consumer price index, the prices of everyday products have increased by nearly 6%! To cope with rising prices and support the French budget, the government announced the launch of an anti-inflation basket from March and for a period of three months. It will contain a fifty products at cost price (instead of twenty initially) with food products, but also everyday products (hygiene and care, and basic necessities).
From when will the anti-inflation basket be implemented?
Monday, January 30, the Minister in charge of Trade Olivia Grégoire specified that this system would be put in place “from the month of March for three months”. But some brands did not wait until early March to launch their own anti-inflation basket. This is particularly the case of U-system which offers a basket made up of 150 products at low prices from February 1st. The Lidl brand follows suit, announcing, as of March 1, a basket made up of around fifty products at cost price.
System U launches its anti-inflation basket with 150 products at cost price
The U Les Commercants group launches its first anti-inflation basket. This last one is available since February 1, 2023 to “an indefinite period” in all the Hyper U and System U stores de France, but also on the Drive site of the coursesU.com brand. The anti-inflation basket U is made up of 150 consumer products at cost price consisting of hygiene products (baby nappies, shower gel, toilet paper, etc.), foodstuffs (pasta, coffee, oil, sandwich bread, sweets, cakes, aperitif cakes, canned vegetables, fruit juice, alcohol, etc.) but alsofresh food, such as meat (slices of turkey breast, minced steaks), yogurts, ice cream or even butter and cream. All of the products are private label U. With this commercial operation, the large retailer Système U decides to take the lead, before the implementation of the government’s anti-inflation basket scheduled for early March. “We are not leaving discussions with the government, we continue to register, on the other hand we think that there is an urgency for purchasing power and that March 1 is still far away”, said Dominique Schelcher, president of Système U at theAFP. Following this initiative, the Minister Delegate for Trade Olivia Grégoire indicated on January 30 on European 1 “continue discussions with the other brands so that this system can very quickly give its full measure”.
What products make up the anti-inflation basket?
“A little fifty everyday products that would meet the needs of a family with children” will be offered at low prices in large retailers, said the minister on Europe 1 on January 30. Among these products will be meat, dairy products, hygiene products but also fresh and organic products. The objective is to “ensure that the French can have attractive prices on a daily basket. I’m keen that there are also quality products, fresh, organic products and that it’s not just a low price basket, but a daily basket.“, she added. According to Michel Biero, executive director of purchases and marketing of Lidl France, the anti-inflation basket offered to consumers will contain organic products, food, fresh, frozen products, groceries, but also cleanliness and hygiene products, he detailed this Wednesday, February 1 on BFM TV
Distributors will have to show goodwill so that farmers and producers are not penalized by the low prices in the basket. If the government does not wish to establish rules or legislative provisions, it is indeed counting on the voluntary commitments of the brands. The various players will therefore be free to define the references of the products that will make up the anti-inflation basket. On the other hand, the other competitors will have to align themselves on the types of products offered.