Greece: “Toy basket” and “festive basket” with new products are coming
The new “basket” prepared by the Ministry of Development, which will be announced together with the “festive basket” on December 14, will be filled with toys.
A condition for the new initiative is to find the optimal way of implementation, so that there are no objections from the Competition Commission and to exclude the possibility of causing distortions in the market.
The “toy basket” is completely different from the “household basket”, which will be “enriched” with festive treats and meat options in the run-up to Christmas and New Year. The differences are focused on duration and obligation.
According to OT information, the “toy basket” which lasts for three weeks and there is no mandatory participation of businesses in terms of turnover. It is recalled that supermarket chains with a turnover of over 90 million euros are required to participate in the “household basket”.
In addition, there will be relative freedom in the content, since the “toy basket” includes product categories, such as for example interactive – educational, board and puzzle, constructions, action figures and dolls, etc. and not specific products.
Negotiations, both with the major players in the market and with the supermarkets, are ongoing and as stated by higher levels of the Ministry of Development “it is not an easy undertaking”, as if there is no careful planning there may be infringements of competition law.
It should be noted that the game market is highly concentrated with the two Jumbo and Moustakas chains having the highest market shares.
Beef and chocolates are coming
At the same time, food items continue to “burn” consumers’ pockets, which was also seen in the publication of Eurostat’s preliminary figures for November, with this year’s festive table to be more accurate in percentage compared to last year.
Prices are to be kept down and there will be alternative options to support vulnerable households during the Christmas period, the “household basket” that has “grown” with the addition of traditional sweets, such as tsourekia and royal pies, but also a choice of meat in particular. calf. It is also possible to add chocolates. However, the expansion of the “basket” will be temporary.
How many shop from the “household basket”
In the meantime, according to research presented yesterday by Professor Giorgos Doukidis in the context of the 13th IELKA Conference – The agile retail Era: Doing business in extreme environment, one in two folders, 50%, buys products from the “household basket” , compared to 40% shown by the previous IELKA survey during the first days of the basket.
The value of purchases for one in five is more than 10% of the value of their total purchases at the supermarket, although only one in four consider the initiative in question positive.
At 125% of income!
What is worrying, however, is that from the same research it appears that the monthly living costs of households amount to 125% of their incomes!
According to Mr. Doukidis, the extra 25% comes from savings, loans and credit cards, while 70-90% of income is spent on paying bills, taxes and rent.
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