The triple cost crisis (rise in raw materials, energy and transportation) has already stressed the basket of purchase, last link of the supply chain. In the prices of some products, this increase is noticed and that extends seems inevitable, even though manufacturers and distributors try to adjust margins so that the consumer does not appreciate it, especially at the doors of the Christmas campaign, key in spending .
"There is increasing tension because this rise in raw materials is transferred to the final price and this uncertainty is already perceived in households," explains Bernardo Knee, Director of Commerce at the consultancy Kantar Worldpanel, who presented yesterday on evolution of great consumption in Spain.
According to your data, there are more than 13 million households that declare to be concerned that this increase in costs (raw materials, transport and energy) moves to your pockets. "At the moment this has been reflected, rather than a price war between distributors, in a containment of them," explains the expert.
The CEO of the Kraft Heinz Food Multinational (Orlando, Kraft ...), the Portuguese Miguel Patricio, has recognized in an interview with the BBC that the group is already uploading prices in the US, its main market, and in other countries And that "you have to get used to the fact that the food is more expensive».
Some of the great feeding manufacturers consulted by the world (Danone, Nestlé, PepsiCo or Ebro Foods, among others) are maintained outside a debate that is considered almost taboo, because "the consumer is very sensitive to the price, and more in These moments, "explains sources from the sector. Although "sooner or later, these costs will have to be repercussions," they admit in a large feeding company.
From Kantar consider that this uncertainty in prices has already caused growth of the quota of the brand of supermarkets and also of promotions, which return to the rhythms prior to the pandemic.
This inflation is widespread. The FAO Food Price Index (the United Nations Agency for Agriculture and Food) rose in September 32.8% with respect to the same month of last year, with oils and cereals as main responsible for increments . In Spain, light and gasoline shot in September 4% the consumption price nature (IPC), according to the data published yesterday by the INE. The escalation of energy affects the shopping basket because it assumes that the manufacturers of the products and supermarkets that sell them have to pay much more for the light they consume.
Oils and fats accumulate a climb of 20% so far this year, the increase is 4% in eggs, almost another in the case of fresh fruits and close to 3% in some meats. It is true that, as a whole, the food prices remain relatively stable with respect to last year but "because it was when the highest rises were recorded."
In the case of cereals and oils, it is the fall of production in the main producing countries what has triggered its price. The same happens with wine. There are 15% less harvest in Spain and 30% less in France and this raises prices. Part of the collapse in transport is aggravated by an overdoat fired at a time when factories, with less personnel and production capacity reduced by anticovid measures, have not yet caught the rhythm and have been saturated.
Date Of Update: 16 October 2021, 03:05
