The Minister Delegate in charge of Small and Medium Enterprises, of Commerce, of Crafts and Tourism, Olivia Gregoire, and the Minister responsible for Industry, Roland Lescure, welcomed the unprecedented agreement signed under their aegis in December between professional federations of suppliers and representatives of large-scale distribution with a view to the 2023 commercial negotiations.
One week after the start of the trade negotiations period, which must lead large retailers and their suppliers of food and non-food products to agree on a purchase price, an unprecedented commercial solidarity pact was concluded under the aegis of the two ministers, in order to implement a certain number of good negotiation practices, in a particularly difficult context for manufacturers. Concretely, this agreement assures all SMEs which will negotiate with the purchasing centers of the signatory brands that they will not discuss, in their purchase prices, requested price increases due to rising energy costs, as soon as these increases are actually documented. This guarantee covers both food and non-food products.. Furthermore, small suppliers and large producers undertake to negotiate with discernment any request for a price increase.
Quick implementation
This commercial solidarity pact was concluded between representatives of FEEF suppliers (Federation of Businesses and Entrepreneurs of France) an ADEPALE (Association of Processed Food Products Companies) Firstly, and all major retail brands on the other hand. otherwise, the pact aims to assure SMEs that they will not be subject to logistical penalties if they warn sufficiently in advance of the delivery difficulties they encounter. The parties committed to implementing the new tariffs quickly, without waiting for the deadline for negotiations set for March 1, 2023. Finally, the pact recalls the role played by mediators of business and agricultural commercial relations in the event of disagreement between the parties : they participate fully in the facilitation of agreements..
Advocacy for good negotiation practices
Olivia Gregoire, Minister Delegate in charge of Small and Medium Enterprises, of Commerce, of Crafts and Tourism : “In the current context of sharply rising costs of raw materials and energy, commercial negotiations require solidarity and responsibility, both at the level of manufacturers of consumer products and distributors. I invite all other distributors to commit to the commercial solidarity pact as much as they can. » “This system complements the aid desks set up by the government”, recalls Roland Lescure, Minister responsible for Industry. “It better protects SMEs from the excesses that we have observed concerning logistical penalties. We call on distributors to implement these good negotiation practices for all companies, whatever their size. »
