# France leans on retailers to help consumers cope with food prices Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2023-02-13 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: France Urges Food Retailers to Sell Anti-Inflation Basket Meta Description: Find out why France's finance minister is pushing food retailers to offer everyday essential goods at lower prices to help consumers cope with inflation. URL: https://financedigest.com/france-leans-on-retailers-to-help-consumers-cope-with-food-priceshtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2023-02-13t095038z1lynxmpej1c0e6rtroptp4eurozone-economy-gdp-1736814452318-compressed.jpg) By Dominique Vidalon PARIS (Reuters) -France’s finance minister urged food retailers on Monday to do more to help consumers cope with high prices, as the government leans on them to agree to sell an anti-inflation basket of everyday essential goods at knockdown prices. “The rise in food prices is a major concern and everyone must take its share, including retailers,” Bruno Le Maire told RTL radio. The state must do its [share but retailers](https://www.financedigest.com/french-retailer-casinos-shares-slump-6-after-sp-downgrade.html "French retailer Casino’s shares slump 6% after S&P downgrade") must also do more,” he added. The [government wants big retail chains such as Carrefour](https://www.financedigest.com/carrefour-unveils-30-euro-shopping-basket-in-spain-after-government-price-cut-proposal.html "Carrefour unveils 30 euro shopping basket in Spain after government price cut proposal"), Casino and the family-owned grocery dynasties Auchan and E. Leclerc, to [sell a basket of about 50 everyday items at purchasing price](https://www.financedigest.com/3-tricks-to-get-a-better-price-when-selling-your-car.html "3 Tricks To Get a Better Price When Selling Your Car") from next month. However, only smaller chains such as discounter Lidl and Systeme U, which launched its own action plan covering 150 [private label](https://www.financedigest.com/essity-mulls-selling-vinda-stake-and-consumer-tissue-private-label-europe-business.html "Essity mulls selling Vinda stake and Consumer Tissue Private Label Europe business") products earlier this month, have agreed to the government initiative, which is not mandatory. Some retailers such as Carrefour [say they have already taken action by blocking prices](https://www.financedigest.com/buy-off-plan-to-beat-stalling-house-prices-and-falling-rental-yields-says-jean-liggett.html "“Buy off-plan to beat stalling house prices and falling rental yields” says Jean Liggett ") on a set number of goods. Others, including Auchan, have since responded by launching their own initiatives, [saying there was a need to focus the basket more on fresh products](https://www.financedigest.com/over-half-of-britons-say-loyalty-cards-encourage-them-to-buy-a-product-niq.html "Over half of Britons say loyalty cards encourage them to buy a product – NIQ") such as meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. The INSEE official statistics agency forecast last week that food [price inflation](https://www.financedigest.com/euro-zone-inflation-eases-in-feb-but-core-prices-pick-up.html "Euro zone inflation eases in Feb but core prices pick up") would remain at 13% through the first half of the year. Food [prices were expected to become a bigger driver in the coming months of overall inflation](https://www.financedigest.com/oil-prices-dip-on-u-s-crude-reserve-release-inflation-pressure.html "Oil prices dip on U.S. crude reserve release, inflation pressure"), which was forecast nonetheless to ease from 6.0% in January to 5.0% by June. The finance ministry conducted an investigation into food retailers’ [margins last year](https://www.financedigest.com/inpost-sees-better-margin-in-poland-plans-no-job-cuts-this-year.html "InPost sees better margin in Poland, plans no job cuts this year"), but did not find evidence of price gouging. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Additional reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Tassilo Hummel and Shounak Dasgupta) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---