Dominique Schelcher of Coopérative U says the immediate pressure point is fuel: consumers are highly price-sensitive, fuel promotions are already near cost, and further cuts are hard because U is already at the limit. He sees no immediate large pass-through into grocery shelves, but flags possible later effects from plastics, raffiners, and logistics if the geopolitical shock persists.
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This BFMTV interview centers on Dominique Schelcher, who explains how the Iran-related geopolitical shock is filtering into French consumer behavior and retail pricing. On fuel, he says U’s stations sell at near-cost all the time, cannot easily discount further for the Ascension weekend, and are forced to match competitors because consumers now actively search for the cheapest fuel every day. He notes that Total can offer deeper discounts because it controls production, refining, and distribution, while U relies on a shared purchasing arrangement with Leclerc and cannot move the market by itself. Schelcher says the Brent price is highly uncertain and depends on daily moves in Rotterdam-linked refined product pricing, Trump-related headlines, and any military escalation. …
Near term, fuel remains the cleanest tradeable pressure point: pump prices are still headline-sensitive and U says it has little room to cut more. Store prices look comparatively stable for now, so the actionable risk is a fuel spike rather than a broad basket repricing.
Over the next few weeks to months, the base case is selective rather than universal inflation pass-through: fuel and packaging can bleed into shelves with a lag if the shock persists. Confirmation would come from more supplier requests, thinner promotions, and visible increases in oil, dairy, or packaged goods.
Structurally, the interview points to a more defensive French consumer and a retail system where inflation hits in waves, not all at once. Private label, frugality, and logistics-sensitive costs remain the enduring regime, while energy remains the main upstream inflation engine.
U sells fuel at near-cost almost all the time and has no room to lower prices much further for the Ascension weekend.
He says fuel is almost always sold at cost and that U cannot do more than it already does.
Consumers now actively search daily for the cheapest fuel, forcing retailers into intense price competition.
He says consumers look for the cheapest fuel every day and stations that are not in that range are eliminated.
Total can discount fuel more aggressively because it controls the full chain from production to distribution.
He contrasts Total’s integrated model with U’s weaker margin position.
Y aura-t-il des promotions sur le carburant chez U pour le pont de l’Ascension ?
Dominique Schellcher explique que le carburant est déjà vendu à prix quasiment coûtant et qu’il ne gagne presque rien dessus. Il dit qu’avec les fortes fluctuations et la concurrence, U est au plus juste et ne peut pas faire d’effort supplémentaire pour l’instant.
Le fait que Total puisse bloquer ou baisser davantage ses prix vous agace-t-il ?
Il dit que c’est agaçant, mais que Total peut le faire parce qu’il maîtrise toute la chaîne, de la production à la distribution. Selon lui, Total joue son rôle pour attirer les clients et cela aide les Français.
Pourquoi les grandes enseignes de carburant ne baissent-elles pas davantage leurs prix ?
Dominique Schellcher dit qu’il n’y a pas de marge cachée ou excessive dans la grande distribution sur le carburant. Il ajoute que lui et Leclerc ont essayé d’obtenir de meilleurs prix d’achat, sans parvenir à faire bouger les lignes.
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