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At Lidl and other brands, the year 2025 begins under worrying auspices for households. Price increases in supermarkets are becoming a headache, and the grande distribution lies at the heart of these tensions.
While trade negotiations are in full swing, Michel Biero, vice-president of Lidl France, spoke to BFMTV to denounce the practices of manufacturers. Despite a drop in raw materials, they continue to demand unjustified price increases.
Lidl in turmoil
Every year, the month of December marks the start of commercial negotiations between large retailers and food producers. But in 2025, the climate is particularly tense. According to Michel Biero, this year promises to be more complex than the previous ones.
While the raw materials stabilize or decreasesome large companies are demanding increases of up to 10%. A situation that the vice-president of Lidl considers unacceptable.
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“It’s very, very complicated this year. Like every year I would say, but this year particularly because it's still two years of very significant (price) increases »he stressed. For him, these demands have no basis, and it is high time to act.
Lidl versus multinationals
Michel Biero also pointed out the opacity of major brands during this visit to BFMTV. Unlike small businesses, which demand moderate increasesmultinationals, according to him, have no valid justification for their price increases.
He explains: “What the French need to know is that currently, we are only negotiating national brands, the big brands. The private labels that make up 90% of our assortment are negotiated throughout the year. So we have very clear visibility on the cost of raw materials”.
Thus, despite the decline in certain raw materials, major brands continue to demand drastic increasesand it happens in a total blur.
-Lidl, in this situation, remains faithful to its low price policy. Michel Biero insists on the need to reduce prices for consumers in 2025, despite pressure from manufacturers. The brand will not be able to accept unjustified increases “while there are a lot of raw materials which are on the decline”.
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Rethinking commercial negotiations
One of the crucial points that Michel Biero wishes to highlight is the need to reform the legislation governing commercial negotiations. For him, the economic modernization law, which governs relations with major brands, must be urgently revised.
According to him, it contributes to maintaining a harmful opacity and prevents true transparency. The vice-president of Lidl is therefore calling for a radical change in the commercial negotiation process.
2025 promises to be a year of challenges for mass distributionbut also for customers. Price increases risk weighing heavily on budgets. Especially if the big brands persist in their unjustified demands.
Lidl remains determined to defend its values: low prices and full transparency in negotiations. But for this to happen, a change is necessary, both in terms of industrial practices and the law.
All that remains is to hope that the situation evolves in the right direction. And that consumers do not find themselves too penalized by this price war.
Source : BFMTV
