Thierry Cotillard: “The government must reconvene the tankers”

Food prices, which have jumped 21% in two years, will not return to their previous level because “producing in the world of tomorrow will cost more than in the past” summarized Thierry Cotillard, the boss of Intermarché, Bricorama or Roady, guest of the “Grand Jury RTL-Le Figaro-M6-Paris Première” this Sunday.

But consumers can hope for deflation of 2% to 3% on certain products, thanks for example to the cost of electricity, lower than feared, or to the reduction in container transport prices. For the end-of-year holidays, the French could even benefit, compared to last year, from a drop of 7% to 8% in poultry prices, or even, in the group's brands, from a decline of 5% to 10% on those of toys.

Also readHow inflation shakes up economic policy

But the level of inflation also depends on the willingness of suppliers to play the game. Although the price of durum wheat, the main component of biscuits, fell by 15%, “all the biscuit sellers refused to negotiate,” he regretted. Thierry Cotillard. Today we are in conflict with Mondelez, who explain to us that everything will cost even more, while we do not have this reading at all. In the end, despite government incentives, prices could only be renegotiated downwards this summer on some 300 products (including pasta) out of the 15,000 listed in stores.

At the end of the new price negotiations, the boss of the Mousquetaires hopes for between 0% and 4% food inflation in stores, if manufacturers prove reasonable. He points to the good results of those who know how to moderate increases, like L'Oréal, which is gaining market share.

On the other hand, it threatens to remove from the shelves the products of overly greedy suppliers, whose overly expensive references are already abandoned by customers in favor of distributor brands. Two of the four Findus products have thus disappeared, the manufacturer having significantly increased its prices while reducing the weight of its preparations.

Also read “Shrinkflation”, when brands are accused of deceiving customers

Thierry Cotillard, however, wishes to “be careful” with small organic producers. Because even if these references, victims of their higher prices and the myriad of competing proposals (zero pesticides, etc.), sell less well, “we must not push these farmers who are the most virtuous to deconvert”, a- he recalled. And to consider measures (loyalty card, etc.) to support organic, in order to avoid that, when consumption picks up again, only the large manufacturers still remain on this market.

Unlike Michel-Édouard Leclerc, Thierry Cotillard does not want the ban on distributors to sell large industrial products with less than 10% margin to be removed. This measure, taken in a context of deflationary price wars, “gave oxygen back to the agricultural sectors, which were suffering,” he recalled. Its disappearance could be favorable to consumers in the short term, but destructive in the longer term.

On the other hand, the boss of the Musketeers warns the State about gasoline prices. “We are in the territories, we feel social discontent rising,” he observes. And if the government fears a return of the “yellow vests”, it must “reconvene the oil tankers”.

TotalEnergies, the main supplier of mass retail service stations, is invited to make an effort on its 2023 and 2024 profits. “They make a 15 cent margin when we make two”, tackles Thierry Cotillard, recalling that distributors have rejected with one voice the idea of ​​selling at a loss.

Intermarché sells gasoline at cost price two weekends per month at its service stations. With gasoline representing between 30% and 50% of the turnover of its points of sale, the brand claims that it cannot go any further without having to, in compensation, increase the price of pasta and other products.