After cheapflation and shrinkflation, it is stretchflation which is used by manufacturers to try to camouflage the price increase applied on the shelves. What does this practice consist of? How to protect yourself from it? RMC Conso explains.
Manufacturers have no shortage of methods to better convey the price increase to consumers. After shrinkflation, which is the subject of a decree requiring supermarkets from July to indicate to customers the products whose quantity has fallen without their price decreasing, it is the turn of stretchflation to appear on the shelves .
An insidious increase in the price per kilo
Stretchflation, from the English verb “to stretch”, which means “to stretch”, consists of slightly increasing the weight of a product while considerably inflating its price. It was the journalist Olivier Dauvers, a journalist specializing in consumer affairs, who first mentioned this term on his site.
He mentions in particular the case of filled breads, “Original Bun’s” from the Mccain brand spotted at Intermarché. The old format weighed 400 grams and was sold for 2.93 euros, or 7.33 euros per kilo. The new format weighs 460 grams and is sold at 3.99 euros, or 8.67 euros per kilo. This represents an increase in the price per kilo estimated at 1.54 euros. The quantity sold increased by 15% and the price by 35%.
The price per kilo: the compass to follow in the shelves
The price per kilo of all food products is a better basis for comparison than the unit price. This is all the more valid in the inflationary context experienced by the country. Supermarkets are required to display this information on the shelves.
“In addition to the sales price, the consumer must be informed of the price per unit of measurement (price per kilogram, per liter) accompanied by the unit of measurement. This is the case for the majority of food products and certain hygiene and maintenance products”, explains the DGCCRF on its site.
There are, however, a few exceptions. This is particularly the case for certain pre-packaged products “which are, for technical reasons, exempt from this display, such as sachets of aromatic plants weighing less than 30g, certain sugars, jams weighing less than 50g, certain cheeses sold at the room, etc.,” explains the authority.
An exemption also exists for certain liquids, such as water, sodas, but also ice creams and sorbets. This is also the case for bread and pastries. Indeed, displaying the price per kilo is only mandatory for products sold individually weighing less than 200 grams, as reported on the Grands Moulins de Paris website.
