The recently re-elected president of the CEOE,
Antonio Garamendi
, has harshly criticized the idea of the Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, to agree with the distribution company on a ceiling on the prices of some basic foods.
"It is incredible that in a modern country a few days ago setting prices was considered. It is a Soviet program", he said during the closing of the Annual Assembly of Anged, one of the large employers of distribution, which brings together 20 of the main companies in the sector, such as El Corte Inglés, Ikea or Carrefour, among others
"
It seems unbelievable that a member of the government promotes a cartel
", said Garamendi, who has also criticized "that companies in the sector are being accused of doing things wrong".
"It is dangerous to say that the fault lies with companies and entrepreneurs," he warned.
He has recalled the role of distribution during the pandemic and confinement.
"Thanks to the sector we did not realize that the country was stopped."
"You cannot damage the image of companies. We are the solution, not the problem," she added.
Alfonso Merry del Val, president of Anged
, has also agreed to criticize "the inapplicable idea, occurrence, of putting a cap on prices, at the expense of margins."
"
In recent days we have heard with astonishment a false diagnosis of distribution,
with an inapplicable proposal that puts a cap on prices at the expense of the narrow margins of companies in the sector. The reality is that it is a responsible and efficient sector. Companies They have been making enormous efforts for months now to contain the cost escalation suffered by the chain," he said.
He has pointed out that "inflation is the worst enemy of society, also of distribution, because it preys on business margins and cuts income and household consumption" and has called for "more sensitivity on the part of public officials in the face of the harsh reality that companies are living".
"We must avoid sterile debates and opportunistic measures," she lamented.
"
Faced with conspiracy and populist stories, we must be clarifying
: nobody takes advantage of inflation, which destroys wealth and the competitiveness of companies. It makes us poorer and more vulnerable at a critical moment for the economy", said the president of Anged, who has recalled that "some government policies are accelerating the increase in costs" and in this sense has criticized hyper-regulation.
In this sense, he has asked "to avoid new taxes that add more costs to companies and can make the production of basic products even more expensive."
Industry growth
The
turnover
of distribution companies grew by 9.7% in 2021, to
40,049 million euros
, above the trade average, despite the restrictions to curb the pandemic that still weighed on the activity of the sector.
This is reflected in the report on the economic and social contribution of Anged companies presented on the occasion of the Annual Assembly.
This
growth in a still very complex environment
for these companies has been possible "thanks to the flexibility of the companies to adapt their products, operations and sales channels to a new reality of consumption," the employers' association points out in its annual report.
A total of 3.8 million people, 20% of households, visit company stores daily, while sales through the online channel have doubled since 2019.
"Thanks to this flexibility" the sector has recovered employment levels from before the pandemic.
The sector currently generates
234,857 direct jobs
in all the autonomous communities.
This represents 3.5% more.
81% of contracts are indefinite seven points above the national average, and 69% have been in the company for more than four years, 15 points more than the average of other sectors, so that "it is about stable employment" , has pointed out Ignacio Sierra, general corporate director of Tendam and vice president of the Anged CSR commission.
In addition, in this complex environment "
the investment volume of
the members of Anged in Spain reached 889 million euros, of which a third was allocated to digital transformation. Since the financial crisis of 2008, companies in the sector have invested 18,500 million , 30% of the total investment of the trade.
The
tax contribution
of the Anged companies grew by 11%, to
10,787 million euros
, of which 4,030 million correspond to the payment of direct and indirect taxes and some 6,750 million were in social contributions.
(salaries and contributions to Social Security).
The drag effect on the economy is estimated at 26,970 million.
The sector highlights the great effort made in terms of
sustainability
: in three years, 100% of the packaging will be reusable or recyclable and the goal of 50% reduction in plastic will be achieved.
More than 48,000 tons of electronic equipment are collected for reuse and it is estimated that there will be 50% less waste in 2025.
Conforms to The Trust Project criteria
Know more
The English Court
Ikea
Social Security
ERTE