Retailers are not ready to discuss changes in purchase prices with suppliers. This is stated in a letter to one of the suppliers from the Verny chain of the founder of Pyaterochka, Andrei Rogachev. An informal moratorium may last until the end of the year. This will allow chains not to raise retail prices, writes Kommersant.
The letter says that currency fluctuations, higher prices for raw materials and other costs can affect prices, but during the coronavirus pandemic and lower incomes of the population, it is "impossible" to shift price increases to buyers. The company noted that it will refuse such proposals by the end of the year. The retailer operates 930 stores in the metropolitan area and in St. Petersburg.
A Kommersant source notes that a similar situation is developing in other networks. Some companies communicating with buyers from Magnit and X5 Retail Group (Pyaterochka, Perekrestok, Karusel) spoke about this. Other sources of the newspaper noted that bakery and dairy producers faced the refusal to discuss price increases.
Dmitry Leonov, deputy chairman of the board of Rusprodsoyuz, confirmed that many chains unilaterally, without reducing their own margin, announced a moratorium on price changes by suppliers.
Retailers deny this information. “We receive notifications about price increases in the current mode and give feedback, ask to substantiate, show the structure of factors that influenced the growth of costs,” a representative of X5 told the newspaper. He noted that the company dampens the growth of suppliers' prices at the expense of its own margin. Lenta also announced that there is no moratorium on the adoption of new prices. Representatives of Magnit, Auchan and Metro did not respond to the publication's request.