Advertisement

Why the prices of electrical goods are set to rise in France

The Local France
The Local France - [email protected]
Why the prices of electrical goods are set to rise in France
An employee carries a washing-machine before inspecting it at the BSH electrical appliances company, a Back Market refurbishing company subcontractor, in Tournan-en-Brie, south-east of Paris on January 26, 2021. (Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP)

Now could be the best time to buy that new fridge-freezer you have been considering, as global shortages of key parts mean prices of electrical goods at stores across France are set to rise from September, experts warned.

Advertisement

French household appliance giant Groupe SEB - which owns the Seb, Tefal, Rowenta, Moulinex and Krups brands - has already confirmed it will add between 5 percent and 10 percent to the price of a range of its products.

Specialist stores already reported price increases from manufacturers and while many have so far resisted passing on the additional cost to consumers, that trend is unlikely to last.

Advertisement

A combination of increased worldwide demand for a range of appliances, notably coffee makers, bread machines and multi-function kitchen aids, combined with a shortage of parts because of temporary Covid 19-related factory closures in Asia and elsewhere is, in part, to blame for the impending price rises.

In some cases, parts are so rare that waiting times for deliveries have jumped from a matter of a few weeks to a year.

Meanwhile, increases in the cost of transportation and raw materials has squeezed manufacturers’ margins to the point they have no choice but to pass on increases. Seb said in a statement that, between July 2020 and February 2021, the cost of PVC rose 115 percent, while aluminium prices rose 27 percent, and cardboard costs jumped 14 percent.

The pressure on prices is set to remain until at least the end of the year, experts predict, as factories catch up on production.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

Anonymous 2021/08/06 07:58
It's been happening over the last year for computer components, especially graphic cards because of a chip shortage.
  • Anonymous 2021/08/07 11:17
    Perhaps the beginning of the end for built-in obsolescence? We can only hope.

See Also