“It’s common and we’re not surprised. We’ve seen it before with Paula Español. Now it’s happening again, but worse,” one supermarket executive concluded, alluding to Festival of “new” product relaunches, Very similar to the “old” except for minor differences. These details, such as packaging modifications or adding healthy ingredients, This is one of many formulas used by companies to avoid price controls.
The list of tips is extensive, but the aim is to be able to beat the 5% per month limit imposed by the government through the Fair Price Scheme. A “new” article gets attention, because it does not record previous prices. quite, Tracking via barcode: The secret is to get another one, which is a very simple process that can be done online.
They’re probably in the supermarket Last year, 8,000 mass consumer products were “relaunched”. This is unusual for an economy in crisis. “Dairy products, too, The packaging has been modified 6 times”, they stressed. During a visit to a leading supermarket chain with hierarchical personnel, horn He verified that this style of situation is somewhat unusual. For example, A bottle of wine with a black band on the barcode and another overprint on the labelthe following.
All are the result of Sergio Massa’s policies to prevent inflation from escalating.They can coexist simultaneously in a gondola The same product has three different manifestations: “Original”, another with the labelling method seal and the third with an extra pink band in the illustration. “It’s a hassle to manage this. We no longer know what is new or what is old.” they lamented.
The government controls prices through bar codes.Any changes are valid across “restarts”. It may be to remove the lid on the sachet, introduce vitamins or make some modifications to the aesthetics of the packaging. “Pure salsa”, they sarcastically. In most cases, “the old product has been withdrawn from the market.” Supermarkets insist it happens across all brands and product categories and is difficult to control.
The registry has two parts. One of these takes place on the entity’s GS1 portal, which manages barcodes. Companies must describe the product’s brand, description, images, classification, net content, and target market in some form. The second procedure is carried out at ANMAT, the official body that oversees the quality of food, drink, toiletries and cleaning.
The supermarket also warned Shortages get worse Due to price controls and import restrictions. There are very few brands in each category on the shelves, taking up all the space and avoiding the feeling of being out of stock.In tasks, very popular in repositoriesknown as the “front end”, includes the front portion of the finished shelf. Usually it is empty, or an empty box is placed behind it.
“Front Stage” is a set composition more suitable for a B-movie than a supermarket.They say this happens in most branches of large chain stores, many of which They have less variety compared to self-service stores and warehouses“But their prices are 30% to 90% more expensive than ours.”
Anyone with a memory remembers that 10 years ago, a hypermarket offered about 35,000 items. “Today we hope to reach 20,000 people,” they added. Previously full refrigerator has gaps due to lack of merchandise. For example, an executive presented a gelatin display that had only one flavor (strawberry) and its own brand. Yes, it’s all neatly organized in “front-facing” mode.
He also commented, in an amusing tone, that “front loading” works better for large items. When they are smaller, These repositories look like figurines that can be stacked to form a wall, as if it were a nesting game. “Supply levels fell to 43%, compared with previous levels of between 92% and 95%,” they concluded. Oil, flour, toilet paper and kitchen paper are the most critical categories.
Meanwhile, negotiations to renew fair price agreements with manufacturers remain tense. For now, the company maintains its stance of not signing unless the conditions are modified, specifically the 5% monthly increase limit. They believe that costs have soared following the post-STEP currency devaluation and a 7.5% increase in state taxes.