The plan to convince Spanish supermarkets to sell basic shopping items for one euro each is not proving easy. The Minister of Labour Yolanda Díaz, and the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Alberto Garzón, held a second meeting with representatives of the sector yesterday (Monday), but no agreement was reached. Another meeting is being scheduled for a few weeks’ time.
The government and major supermarket chains do agree that households need help to cope with the rising prices, but the retail sector is reluctant to sell quality items including fruit and vegetables, fish, meat, and eggs, for less than they are now.
Even Carrefour, which has just launched an offer of “30 basic items for 30 euros”, is not including fresh foods as the government wanted. Díaz declined to comment on this, except to say that Carrefour had promised to consider the recommendations.
Sources at Eroski, one of the biggest chains in mainland Spain, have also said they are making a “major effort” to contain prices for its customers and have introduced special offers during the past three months. “We only have a narrow profit margin anyway, so there is not much room for manoeuvre,” they said.
Most retailers and associations in the sector are not happy. The vice-president of the ANGED association, Javier Millán-Astray, said that trying to fix the price of a basic shop will distort the relations between the supermarkets and their suppliers, while the general director of ASEDAS, said the idea is “neither good nor useful” because it does not take into account the Spanish trading structure.
The sector also believes there could be some legal problems with the government plan, although Yolanda Díaz denied this.
