The Kiprix site, available in application and deployed in the West Indies since September 2024, should soon be available in Reunion. Designed to allow consumers to compare the prices of brands overseas and in France, this tool is part of the fight against expensive life. Its creator, Dressen Simeon, relies on a collaborative and citizen approach to respond to a problem that persists in the overseas territories. (Photo: www.imazpress.com)
The fight against life dear in the overseas territories could take a new momentum with the upcoming arrival of Kiprix in Reunion.
This price comparison site, already in service in the Antilles and in France, aims to provide transparency and equity in a sector where price differences remain a hot topic.
For Dress Simeon, its creator, this tool is much more than a simple comparator: “The objective is to make the population aware and show price differences in a factual way with France, sometimes unjustified.”
– a project born from a citizen fight –
Originally from Martinique, Dressen Simeon, a self -taught developer, explains that the idea of Kiprix was inspired by his father, who disappeared 7 years ago who campaigned in favor of a better future for his island.
“I worked six to seven years to make this project a reality, in response to a problem that has become obvious during social movements against expensive life.”
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Launched in September 2024, the site is based on automated price surveys, carried out on the drive platforms of major brands like Leclerc and Super U. In Reunion, where the project will be adapted to local specificities, operation will remain similar.
Users will be able to participate themselves by scanning the prices in stores thanks to the application. “It is a citizen approach: the more consumers are involved, the more precise the data,” says Dressen Simeon.
– a tool to move the lines –
At a time when the National Assembly has just adopted a bill aimed at capping prices of basic necessities in overseas, initiatives like Kiprix can strengthen pressure on players in large distribution.
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The new legislation, carried by MP Martinicaise Béatrice Bellay, aims to bring the ultramarine prices back to the metropolitan level and to limit the domination of large groups. However, there are many resistors.
Critics point to the “unrealism” of an alignment of prices, while certain economic actors, such as the Bernard Hayot group (GBH), are accused of abuse of dominant position and of making margins three to four times greater than those practiced in mainland France.
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For Dress Simeon, Kiprix can help change the game. “A brand contacted me to consult the prices charged in mainland France. This shows that the transparency of the data can force distributors to rethink their pricing strategies.”
– price differences that persist –
In Reunion, studies confirm the extent of the problem. According to the Observatory of Price, Margins and Revenues (OPMR), a product sold 100 euros in mainland France costs 179 euros on the island.
Read also – Observatory of prices and margins: “When a product costs 100 euros in France, it costs 179 euros in Reunion”
-The cost of food is 37 % higher according to INSEE, a difference which even reaches 46 % for imported products. These figures fuel a feeling of injustice among the population, which must deal with amputated purchasing power.
Despite measures such as the quality-price shield (BQP), supposed to offer essential products at a reduced price, the results are mixed. Local officials, such as the Huguette Bello region president, regularly denounce poorly targeted taxation.
“Some products are exempt from sea granting, but remain subject to VAT,” she said on the subject, citing examples like Marseille soap or Margarine.
– an opacity denounced –
The OPMR also points to the “relative opacity” of large distribution, which slows down efforts to understand pricing.
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“The players in the sector have not transmitted all the requested documents,” regrets a report published in October 2024. This opacity complicates the work of observatories and fuels criticism of local monopolies.
In this context, Kiprix arises as a transparency tool. “By making these data accessible to everyone, we give consumers the means to act,” insists Dress Simeon.
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The prices, updated every two to three days, reveal significant differences: on average, 53 % difference between the products analyzed in Martinique and Metropolis.
– A collaborative future –
In Reunion, the development of Kiprix will be in partnership with local developers. Dressen Simeon also hopes to improve its application, including integrating promotions and facilitating statements from cash tickets.
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For this committed entrepreneur, the objective remains clear: “If brands want to work with us, it will only be in the interest of consumers. Our goal is to move the lines.”
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While the fight against expensive life is more than ever at the heart of the debates, Kiprix could well become a lever for transformation in Reunion.
It remains to be seen whether this citizen initiative will manage to overcome resistance and make the voice of consumers heard in the face of the omnipotence of large groups.
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