Baptiste Morin / Photo credit: Antoine Boureau / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 14:14 p.m., September 19, 2023
As of December 1, the government will temporarily allow the sale of fuel at a loss in order to bring down prices that continue to soar. And while 60% of French people fill up in a supermarket gas station, the major distributors, received this Tuesday at Bercy, are annoyed by this measure.They have not yet spoken publicly on the subject. But the major distributors, received this Tuesday morning at the Ministry of the Economy, do not taste the latest measure of the government. The executive has announced that it will temporarily authorise, from 1 December, the sale of fuel at a loss in the hope of lowering prices.
Dominique Schoelcher, the boss of Système U, complained a week ago that he could not sell at a loss. But the leader did not seem satisfied with the government's announcement, quite the contrary. He even came out of the department quite annoyed to the point of slamming the door of his taxi. A good summary of the atmosphere around the table.
"An additional faculty"
The representatives of Système U, but also those of Leclerc, Intermarché, Carrefour or Auchan, were also received this Tuesday morning at Bercy, but none spoke. This authorization to resell at a loss annoys the large distributors insofar as they consider that they have already made efforts with their baskets of products at cost price.
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Only clue on the content of the exchanges this Tuesday morning, a press release transmitted by Bercy at the end of the meeting. The document mentions "an additional faculty open to distributors who can to participate in the price reduction". The measure is therefore not mandatory, but could favor Leclerc, market leader and known for cutting prices.