[Chariot BFM Business] An increase of almost 13 euros since our first declaration

It’s time for the “anti-inflationary quarter.” Ce lundi, entouré de la plupart des patrones de la grande distribution (à l’exception notable de Michel-Edouard Leclerc), the minister de l’Economie Bruno Le Maire announcé une opération commerciale menée conjointement par les enseignes pour limiter les hausses de Prize.

Because food inflation is reaching all-time highs on our shelves. +14.5% in one year according to INSEE, unprecedented in decades.

This is what we find in the BFM Business trolley, a price statement made in an online campaign for some fifty consumer products among the most purchased in France. In particular, there is a large bottle of Coca-Cola, a President camembert, Herta ham but also Danone yogurts, private label products such as sunflower oil, paper towels, fruit and vegetables, but also hygiene and cleaning products.

When we first set the price on May 11, 2022 at the start of the inflationary spike, the cart was worth €144.59. 10 months later, inflation has passed. During the price announcement made this Monday, March 6, our selection of products was worth 157.29 euros, almost 13 euros more in less than a year.

+11.6% on Nutella

Since our first survey in 2022, 42 products out of 48 in the selection have seen their prices inflate. Three have not changed: this is the Sanytol brand disinfectant, which was still sold at 1.30 euros in our test drive, the 2 kg bag of potatoes (2.49 euros) and the packet of Granola cookies still at 1.94 euro. And three have even experienced price reductions: the 1.75L bottle of Coca-Cola (-1 cent), the pack of 47 Pampers diapers (-4 euros) and Marie’s frozen bolognese lasagna (1kg) that is sold at 464 euros when its equivalent in Findus that was in our initial cart (this product is no longer sold in our test brand) was worth 5.77 euros.

Six small exceptions then, while the rule is increasing. Even for star products on the shelves that consumers compare. This is the case for Nutella, whose price did not change until December in our cart before taking off. Offered at 2.68 euros on May 11, the 400-gram bottle is now sold at 2.99 euros, 11.6% more in 10 months.

However, this is not the biggest increase. On the food side, private label frozen French fries saw the largest increase in proportion (+92%) to €1.90 per 1kg pack. Ahead of the frozen T-bone steaks (also own-brand) which have taken 25% in a year and are now worth 8.22 euros for a batch of 10.

In hygiene or cleaning products, the increases can also be spectacular. The 1.9 L bottle of Soupline fabric softener, which sold at €2.73 in May 2022 compared to €4.17 at the beginning of March, that is, an increase of almost 53%.

Very strong increases, despite the fact that the new tariffs resulting from trade negotiations have not yet entered into force for the vast majority of products.