High inflation and rising energy costs are driving up food prices. Brand manufacturers want to keep turning the price screw in the fall. Discounters and supermarkets such as Aldi Süd, Aldi Nord, Lidl, Netto Marken-Discount, Rewe and Edeka are reacting irritably to this. FOCUS online says why important brands are now flying out of the branches.
Milk, butter and other staple foods are currently more expensive than ever.
Milk, crisps, chocolate, mineral water, soft drinks and yoghurt are up to 30 percent more expensive than last year. And the brand manufacturers want more money for their products. The background is that production costs have risen sharply. Companies have to spend more money on personnel, energy, packaging, transport, storage and raw materials.
The prices for the coming six months are discussed during the current trading condition negotiations. But it is also about new products, the presentation, special offers and delivery times. In view of the current expensive phase, the price plays an important role.
“Behind the scenes, supermarkets and discounters are preparing for the heavy negotiations in autumn,” warned an insider in early June in an interview with FOCUS Online. Retailers reject sharp price increases in the double-digit percentage range. Adjustments are apparently planned for chocolate, jams, juices, ready meals, chips and coffee. Brands such as Milka, Nutella, Zentis and Kinder-Schokolade are affected.
Supermarket prices are skyrocketing, but furniture, clothing, shoes and other consumer goods are also becoming more expensive. As a retail expert, I know the tricks of the trade and tell you how you can save money for you and your family every month when shopping. Would you like to talk to me about your savings tips and tricks? Did you notice anything while shopping? Then send an e-mail to Konstantinos.mitsis@burda-forward.de with your name and telephone number
As the “Lebensmittel Zeitung” reports, Aldi and Lidl want a price guarantee from the brand manufacturers. The prices are not expected to rise further over the next few months. But Rewe, Penny, Netto Marken-Discount and Edeka are also looking for stable prices. You also don’t want to make massive adjustments.
But that’s exactly what manufacturers want. Edeka is currently negotiating with Coca-Cola. As FOCUS found out online, it is about cans and bottles of Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and their pricing. Because Edeka does not respond to the ideas so far, Coca-Cola is threatening to stop deliveries. Edeka dealers should no longer be able to order and sell the group’s drinks.
Assessments from the industry emphasize that this is a means of exerting pressure. The Coca-Cola group is dependent on Edeka’s sales areas in order to be able to keep sales constant for the current year.
For this reason, the previous threat of a delivery stop affects neither Edeka’s sister discounter Netto Marken-Discount nor the Edeka partner stores from Marktkauf.
Not only with Coca-Cola there are currently public stratagems. The US group Mars has listed several products at Rewe and Edeka. The background is price adjustments, which both supermarket giants reject. In addition to the rice brand Ben’s, the pet food brands Whiskas, Sheba and Frolic are affected. Also missing from the shelves are chocolate bars from Twix, Mars, Celebrations, Milky Way and Bounty.
According to exclusive information from FOCUS online, Rewe is currently also arguing with a well-known pasta brand. Corresponding products are missing in rows on the shelves. It was obviously about prices and quantities.
But the big discounter market leaders Aldi Süd, Aldi Nord and Lidl are also currently in talks with manufacturers. Here, however, products have already flown off the shelves. As Aldi employees report, there are currently no products from “Fruchtzwerge” and “Activia” in the branches. Both yoghurt brands belong to the Danone group and have not been available for several weeks.
At Lidl, products from “Müllermilch”, “Henkel” and “Beiersdorf” are again missing on the shelves. According to information from FOCUS online, it is about the deodorant from Nivea, dishwashing liquid from Pril and other drugstore items from Bref and Somat.
The “Lebensmittel Zeitung” also confirms the relevant information in its current issue. Apparently, the discounters are thinning out their brand business. The primary concern is that customers increasingly turn to the cheaper Lidl and Aldi brands. Sales of branded products are declining again.
This is one of the reasons why the focus is on the private label business. In the previous weeks, Aldi Süd, Aldi Nord, Lidl and Netto Marken-Discount had advertised their own and cheaper house brands massively on television, radio, newspapers and online media.
In the current expensive phase, it is becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to shop cheaply. However, there are methods that we will list here.
Although Rewe, Kaufland, Edeka, Lidl and Aldi try to lure customers into the branches with offers, they have to calculate with higher prices.
In the past three weeks alone, six large supermarket chains have raised the prices for almost 60 products.
FOCUS Online advises: Look more closely at the weekly brochures of the supermarkets for offers, use apps, vouchers and also no-name brands to get the greatest savings potential.
Prospectuses are mailed out weekly, often between Thursday and Saturday. In some regions, the magazines can be found in your local city or weekly newspaper. Be sure to remove any “No Ads Please” stickers from the mailbox.
It is more practical to leaf through the brochures online: FOCUS current brochures
If the price of groceries, for example, does not appear to have changed, consumers should take a closer look at the packaging when shopping.
Manufacturers are increasingly adjusting the quantities in packaging. In so-called “shrinkflation”, manufacturers shrink the content or degrade the product quality in order to introduce a hidden price adjustment.
That’s not a new phenomenon. However, according to the consumer centers in Hamburg and Hesse, complaints about this have increased in recent months. It is particularly perfidious when the size and presentation of the product packaging remain unchanged.
So many consumers don’t notice anything at first. But the pack contains fewer grams or goods than before – for example fewer biscuits, tea bags or dishwashing tabs.
When shopping, you should therefore pay attention to details – if you regularly buy certain products, you should pay attention to the quantities and the exact list of ingredients on the packaging.
It is often worth comparing the basic price of products from different manufacturers – i.e. the price per kilogram or liter. This makes it easier to identify expensive packs with little content. And ultimately save with cheaper offers.
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