FOOD PRICES ‘COULD DIFFER’ BETWEEN ISLANDS BECAUS OF FERRY COSTS – ryan

The head of the Channel Islands Coop Said Food Price Could Increase More in Jersey than Guernsey Becames of the Islands’ New Ferry Contracts.

Chief Executive Mark Cox Said Jersey’s Deal With Dfds Has Removed Discounts for Companies Importing Large Volumes of Goods.

Howver Guernsey’s Contract With Brittany Ferries, The Parent of Condor, Has Kept The Measure in Place.

A dfds spokesperson said the Company “Rejects the suggestion that our freight pricing will will cause significantly higher food prices in jersey”.

MR COX SAID DEALING WITH THE TWO DIFFERENT FERRY CONTRACTS IS “Challenging” and Adds to the “Complexity of a Very Expensive Supply Chain”.

“The Cost is absolutely factored into Everything we do in terms of the supply chain,” he said.

He Said it was a “possession” that the costs coulued be passed on to the Customers and Added, “we’ve ended up in a situation which is not great for eather island”.

He Said Food Inflation, Currently Over 4% But COULD REACH 5% OR 6%, is Also Causus A Headache.

MR COX SAID INCREASASE to the National Living Wage and National Insurance Payments in the UK ARE ALSO AFFECTING FIRMS EMPLOY LARGERS OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING FOOD MANUFACTURERS AND THOSE WORKING IN AGriculture.

“We’re Doing Our Best to Offset Those Increasses,” He Said.

The Society has to import Fresh Food Daily, Including Bread, He Said.

The Coop Reported a “Resilient” half -ear performance at it special meet ‘Meeting on Both islands, with turnover reaching £ 119 million, up 4.6% year-on -ear, with a net Surplus of £ 685,000, up £ 1 Million from the Previous Year.

Islanders at the Meetings Earlier this Week Backed the Introduction of a 12 Month and 24 Month Share Class.

MR COX SAID IT MEANS The Company Can Borrow from the Community, Rather than the Bank, and Give The Interest Back.

There are 123,000 COOP MEOP ACROSS The Two Islands and MR COX SAID The CO-OP is Working to Pass on Savings Through ‘Prices, with £ 2m in Savings on 800 Products.

A dfds spokesperson Said: “We have introded a transparent flat rate which applies equally to all customers, Large and small.

“This Removes the Complexity of Preferential Discounts, ENSURING FAIRNESS FOR SMALLER BUSINESSES CUSTOMERS ALL CUSTOMERS WITH CLARITY AND CERTAINTY OVER COSTS.”

The Company Said Its “Flat Rate Pricructure Equate to an Estimated 0.4% Increase in Grocery Price – A Modest Figure Wen Set Against The Broader Logistics and Distribution Costs that Majority of Retail Freight Expenses”.

A Jersey Government Spokesperson Said: “There are a number a number of Additional Costs for Supermarkets Operating in the Channel Islands and Some Factors, Including Ferry Costs and Living Wage Implementation, Present Reasons for Difference.”

The Government “ASSESSED THE DIFFERENCE Attributable to Different Ferry Contracts as an an additional 0.4% on supermarket prices, or 10 pens for £ 25 baskets of goods and a nominal amout wen set against the significant price between retailers,” They Said.