From next Wednesday until October 3, 2023 comes into force “School Supplies Basket”while consumers will also notice some changes regarding the “Household Basket”.

As the Minister of Development Kostas Skrekas recently stated on the matter: “… We support the Greek family in practice. We are imposing a ceiling on the profit margin both on the most basic school supplies, in view of the new school year, as well as on water heaters, boilers and hot water production products in general… Our goal is for school supplies to be affordable and even lower than the corresponding period last year. In this direction, in addition to the ceiling on the profit margin, the “Basket of School Supplies” is being created for the first time, an initiative in which both supermarket chains and large chains that sell a significant volume of school supplies have committed to participate , while of course other stores active in this sector can also participate… We are fully aware of the difficulties faced by especially the most vulnerable families, which is why we use every available means to support them as long as necessary”.

Nine are the school supplies that form the basis for the “School Supplies Basket”:

-School bags

– Cassettes

-Notebooks

-Wooden or mechanical pencils

-Coloured markers

-Pen

– Erasers

– Scrapers

-Diabetes/Rulers

It is noted that, in addition to supermarkets, the “basket” with school supplies will also be available in toy and technology chains that also sell school supplies, with a turnover of more than 90 million euros, while optional bookstores.

Profit margin

As officials of the Ministry of Development note, controls are increased across the entire range of the market, but in the near future, on the occasion of the School Basket and the adjustments to the Household Basket, the controls will be more targeted, for the good implementation of the legislation.

It is recalled that according to Law 5045/2023: “…until December 31, 2023, it is prohibited to make a gross profit from the sale of any product or the provision of any service necessary for health, nutrition, living, movement, heating, the production of hot water for use and the safety of the consumer, as well as from the sale of school supplies and agricultural products and food, in particular raw materials for the production of fertilizers, animal feed, raw cereals of all kinds, flour, sunflower vegetable oils, when the margin of gross profit per unit exceeds the corresponding margin of gross profit per unit before 31 December 2021”.

Changes to the Household Basket

In the meantime, the “Household Basket” is maintained, from which items that were not in expected demand have been removed, e.g. cocoa, chocolate and antiseptics while it becomes mandatory to add at least one branded product (for those supermarkets that sell branded products) to certain basic food categories (e.g. dairy, pulses, rice, pasta).

It is also foreseen in an area near the cash registers, the establishment of a second point of special promotion and sale for the products of the “Household Basket” (for those that do not need a refrigerator) and the “School Supplies Basket”. This means that there will be – where spatially possible – a special display case for most of the products included in the basket.

It is reminded that the “Household Basket” includes the following items:

1 Rice

2 Bread for toast

3 Loaf of bread

4 toasts

5 spaghetti-style macaroni

6 All purpose flour

7 Legumes (lentils)

8 Legumes (beans)

9 Legumes (chickpeas)

10 Paris

11 Turkey (cold cuts)

12 Frozen fish

13 Fresh pork

14 Fresh chicken and chicken parts

15 Fresh beef

16 Fresh whole milk

17 Fresh low-fat milk

18 Highly pasteurized milk (long shelf life) whole

19 Highly pasteurized (long-life) low-fat milk

20 Evaporated milk

21 Unflavored cow’s milk yogurt

22 Unflavored low-fat cow’s milk yogurt

23 Sliced ​​feta cheese

24 White cheese

25 Gouda cheese

26 Low-fat cheese

27 Preserved tomato juice

28 Eggs

29 Margarines

30 Olive oil

31 Sunflower oil

32 Frozen vegetables

33 White sugar

34 Sweeteners suitable for diabetics (e.g. stevia)

35 Oat products

36 Baby cream

37 Infant milk

38 Greek coffee

39 Instant coffee

40 French coffee

41 Orange juice

42 Laundry detergents (liquid and powder – not tablets)

43 Detergents for mopping and cleaning surfaces – bleaches

44 Dishwashing detergents for hand washing

45 Kitchen paper

46 Toilet paper

47 Toothpastes

48 Sanitary napkins or tampons

49 Shampoo

50 Soaps in solid state

51 Incontinence diapers

52 Diapers for babies

53 Baby wipes

54 Baby shampoo

55 Dog food

56 Foods for cats.