Does the French law on unknown trademark work?

Does the French law on shrinkage work?

July 11, 2024

The 10th anniversary of the Entry into force of the “Shrinkflation law”In France.

It's never too early to recognize that retailers must comply with this new law for it to work.

According to the French consumer association UFC Que Choisir, this will not happen.

What does the French law on shrinkage mean?

Bruno Le Maire announced at the start of the year that France would implement a new tax on the sale of alcoholic beverages. Here is a list of the most recent laws and regulations.French brands are required to inform consumers when they are victims of “shrinkage”.

In other words, when the manufacturer reduces the weight of a product without reducing the price, the retailer must indicate the new price. The minister announced the new decree by saying: “Shrinkflation is a blatant scam! We are putting an end to it. I want to restore consumer confidence. “Trust comes with transparency. »

This announcement was made after a list of products considered to be in contraction by several media, including the French television and radio channel BFM TV. The list included well-known products from Lay's Doritos Magnum Gold Card Findus Findus Gold Card Magnum Gold Card Findus Findus Gold Card Gold Card Findus Findus Gold Card Findus Gold Card Findus Gold Card Findus Findus Gold Card Gold Card Findus Findus Gold Card Gold Card Findus

Do retailers comply with the shrinkage law?

What signs do retailers use to alert consumers to “shrinkage”?

It must specify: “For this item, its quantity (in the relevant unit) has increased by XY while the price (in the relevant unit of measurement) has increased by …%ou…EUR. »

UFC Que Choisir investigated compliance with the law by traders in the 10 days following the entry into force of the “shrinkflation” law. UFC Que Choisir examined 423 hypermarkets and supermarkets and found that 95 % of them were not equipped with displays.

Indeed, it seems that only three retailers have adhered to the new regulations: Coopérative U., E.Leclerc and Carrefour.

Consumer groups are not only upset that retailers aren't adhering to "shrinkage" signage, but they also have issues with how the signs, when posted, are displayed. Information is not always available, and sometimes packaging changes or price increases are missing. UFC Que Choisir has sometimes noticed errors with “shrinkflation” displays

There is always room for error in the beginning. If a retailer is able to communicate effectively about promoting their products, it may not be impossible. so that they get the correct "shrinkflation" displays.

This point of view from UFC Choisir: “Distributors know how to communicate…promotions. It is much less common for retailers to inform their customers of unpleasant news, such as price increases.

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