CCPC: Ahh only 27% increase versus average 35% EU

Wandering_Dazed

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RTE news : Watch: What's going on with food prices?


Please move/delete etc if already posted.

Personally the CCPC response is infuriating! Tesco charging €8 for Deodorant (~€4.50 clubcard price) is absolutely ridiculous! (Not so long ago could get main brand Deo for 2.50 on clubcard)

Sirloin steak has gone through the roof too, and while I'm lucky to afford these increases out of principle personally I'm boycotting Tesco. (Heaven to think what the increases on higher end cuts are)

Can't speak for Dunnes, but noticed the German multiples increasing prices on meat products too. However they are cheaper for main brand Deodorants.

While I can decide to shop for cheaper alternatives, I really feel for those in our society on the breadline.

IMHO the CCPC is a joke, there are huge increases across everyone's daily purchases.

(Rant off)
 
What do you expect them to do?
As a starter, have a more deeper insight as to the increase in prices across the FMCG sector? However, in fairness perhaps the RTÉ report is not reporting the full insights?

As per the CCPC mission statement:
Our aim is to make markets work better for consumers. To achieve this, we work to influence public debate and policy development, grow public understanding of the importance of open and competitive markets, promote competition and highlight the interests of consumers.

I would argue that headlines such as:

Is not in line with their mission statement, hence my rant. But open to other opinions.
 
We have Tesco, Dunnes, Supervalu, Lidl, Aldi and a few others.

It's clear that they are competing with each other. If the prices in Tescos are high, I can shop in Lidl.

there never was anything to see here so why are the CCPC wasting time on it.

Let them come out and talk about mortgages but they have never spoken out about pricing in the Irish mortgage market. It's too complicated for the CCPC to understand. They would need to have done Inter Cert maths and to understand percentages.
 
Sirloin steak has gone through the roof too, and while I'm lucky to afford these increases
Sirloin steak is a luxury good. If you can afford to eat it good for you.
While I can decide to shop for cheaper alternatives, I really feel for those in our society on the breadline.
People on the breadline are not eating sirloin steak. You only notice the cost of living crisis when it affects well-off people.
 
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From grocery shopping here and on one of the Canary Islands, on a regular basis, the prices on the latter have generally gone up by more IMHO. Some of it might have to do with the cost of getting the products there but it's really noticable.
 
I also regularly shop in another European country and the prices have also gone up noticably. I find meat products very expensive there compared to Ireland and I am always surprised when I arrive to the till. Been going there regularly for the past 30 years. Food was less expensive there at the time but not so much now.
 
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Ditto… we holiday in France, have done for years. The supermarket bill used to be a lot less there, now it’s easily the same as Dublin.
Different brands and some different products but overall not a massive change in baskets.

The local market in France used to be ok value for fresh food but it’s very expensive now.
 
Another cop out game of pass the parcel really. All the CCPC could say was that supermarkets were making modest profits.
Split up the responsibilities end up with multiple token useless regulators and doubtless the Agri Food one will find it doesnt have scope to pick up the parcel.

More details here in the Indo:

CCPC experts said it was not in a position to investigate profit margins along the food supply chain, including buyer power and margins, which are part of the role for the new Agri Food Regulator.

However, the new Agri Food Regulator is seeking extra powers from the Government so it can find out which firms are making the biggest profits in the food supply chain

CCPC experts found that Unilever – whose brands include Dove, Hellmann’s, Knorr, Lipton and Sunlight – reported a profit margin of 18.4pc last year.

 
CCPC experts said it was not in a position to investigate profit margins along the food supply chain, including buyer power and margins, which are part of the role for the new Agri Food Regulator.

However, the new Agri Food Regulator is seeking extra powers from the Government so it can find out which firms are making the biggest profits in the food supply chain

CCPC experts found that Unilever – whose brands include Dove, Hellmann’s, Knorr, Lipton and Sunlight – reported a profit margin of 18.4pc last year
None of that is any of their business frankly.

I'm with Brendan on this.

We have Tesco, Dunnes, Supervalu, Lidl, Aldi and a few others.

It's clear that they are competing with each other. If the prices in Tescos are high, I can shop in Lidl.

there never was anything to see here so why are the CCPC wasting time on it.
 
None of that is any of their business frankly
None of what is any of whose business?
The CCPC (Competition and Consumer Protection Commission) or the Agri Food Regulator?

You don't care if there's competition issues in key parts of the supply chain here (not talking about supermarkets) or you don't think Government bodies should be doing anything about it?
 
None of what is any of whose business?
The CCPC (Competition and Consumer Protection Commission) or the Agri Food Regulator?
Neither of them.
You don't care if there's competition issues in key parts of the supply chain here (not talking about supermarkets)
Where did I say that? You didn't even mention competition.
or you don't think Government bodies should be doing anything about it?
Yes, why for example should Lakeland Dairies or Goodfella Pizzas, let alone Unilever, have to justify their margins to any bureaucrat?
 
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They should imo if there's competition issues in the sector, and profit margins are an indicator of that.
No they're not.

Goodfellas prepare a pizza base, throw tomato, cheese and toppings on it, put a bit of plastic on that, freeze it, put in a box and sell it to a retailer.

There is no frozen pizza monopoly nor oligopoly, and they neither control nor dominate the market.

If their pizza ends up being sold for €3 in Iceland, so be it. If it costs a tenner in M&S, likewise.

There is no competition issue either way.

Likewise, Lakeland Dairies with their milk, butter, creams and even their animal feeds.
 
No they're not.
You've picked out one single company. Totally different situation if all of the key players in a particular supply chain have a profit margin way over that of e.g. the producers and retailers.
Are there obstacles to other competitors to Lakeland, whether as a side effect of government policy or deliberate actions by key players.

The CCPC experts and experts at the Agri Food Regulator seem to think so also.

It is an indicator of a potential competition issue in the sector.

Likewise, Lakeland Dairies with their milk, butter, creams and even their animal feeds.

What is indicative of a potential competition issue in a sector then, according to your view on it?
Or are there no circumstances in your view in which there could be competition issues to do with e.g. dairies?
 
You've picked out one single company
No.

I picked 2, deliberately.

Goodfellas sell pizzas, a product that should be so inherently profitable that even the biggest fool in Ireland could make money making and selling them.

Lakeland Dairies on the other hand derive most of their sales from commodities. Sometimes they make great margins, other times less so. Sometimes they even incur losses.

If they make a mint next year, you'd have the bureaucrats after them looking for explanations. Yet if they lose a shed load of money next year, you sure as hell won't be calling for the authorities to find out why and how that can be remedied.

That's not remotely how regulation of competition should operate, nor how it should ever operate.
 
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