“Shrinkflation”: what will change for customers in supermarkets from July 1 ?

From July 1, stickers will be mandatory on each product that sees its quantity drop, without the price being adjusted. FREE MIDI ILLUSTRATION – JEAN-MICHEL MART

From July 1, supermarkets will have to inform their customers when products on the shelves have seen their quantity drop without their price decreasing, according to a decree published in the Official Journal this Saturday, May 4 .

It's official since this Saturday, May 4: from July 1, all supermarkets of more than 400 square meters in France will have the obligation to affix a label or placard "visible" and "readable" near, or even directly on the packaging, of all products affected by "shrinkflation", indicates the order from the Ministry of the Economy, noting the announcements made in mid-April by the government.

Reduced quantities and increasing prices

La "shrinkflation" – from the English verb "to shrink", shrink –, consists, for manufacturers of consumer products, agro-industrialists or distributors, of reducing the quantities of products sold rather than increasing – too much – prices significantly, in a context where food prices have already increased by 20% in two years.

This is for example a tube of toothpaste with the same packaging as before, but with a lighter weight, which nevertheless sees its price rise, or even a packet of cereals more light but more expensive.

Consumers will find the formula established in the text: "for this product, the quantity sold went from X to Y and its price at (specify the unit of measurement concerned) has increased" of such percentage or such sum in euros.

Fine for non-compliance with posting

Bulk or prepackaged foodstuffs whose quantity may vary during preparation, such as those in the deli section of supermarkets, are however excluded.

In the event of non-compliance with this new display, the order provides for an administrative fine of 3,000 euros for an individual and 15,000 euros for a legal entity. Agents from the General Directorate for Competition and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) will be responsible for enforcing the new regulations and monitoring their application.