Since a law passed in 2022, employees who benefit from restaurant vouchers can use these vouchers to buy food products in supermarkets. This measure is widely criticized by restaurateurs, but also acclaimed by the 5.4 million French people who benefit from it. The French parliament must decide on the extension of this system.
Relief for employees’ purchasing power
The National Assembly decided (75 for, 0 against) to extend this system until the end of 2026. Rarely, most elected officials, whether from the left, the center or the right, are committed to the text. The ball is now in the court of the Senate which must confirm, or not, this choice. For its part, the government seems relieved and supported maintaining this exemption.
Quoted by Challengesthe Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs, Laurence Garnier, underlined: “This is to avoid any unpleasant surprises for our fellow citizens when they go shopping at the supermarket on January 2”.
Same story from the socialist deputy, Karim Benbrahim: “If the measure appears to be a patch on a crisis which requires measures of another order” it is “support for the purchasing power of households who benefit from meal vouchers”.
Restaurateurs are stepping up to the plate
As a reminder, restaurateurs wanted to limit the use of restaurant vouchers for products consumed directly, such as bread, pastries and all bakery products, canned goods, frozen prepared meals, fruits and vegetables, prepared meals, as well as sandwiches and salads . This would therefore have excluded from this system, pasta, rice, meat and fish or even canned and unprocessed frozen foods, as well as cereals and instant drinks.
In September, the Union of Hospitality Trades and Industries (UMIH) deplored as well as “since the 4th quarter of 2022 and the entry into force of the extension to all food products, the market share of large and medium-sized supermarkets (in meal vouchers) has increased by 8.4 points, while that of restaurateurs has declined by 6.4 points over the same period ».
“A further extension of the use to all food products would certainly transform the meal voucher into a shopping cart voucher”added Franck Chaumes, president of UMIH catering branch. For the moment, these requests have not been supported by French parliamentarians.
