The Competition Authority released an opinion on February 10 criticizing the opacity of margins and prices in Martinique's food sector, where goods are 40% more expensive than in mainland France. The Bernard Hayot Group, the main player in overseas retail, is at the center of these concerns. The body calls for greater transparency to combat high living costs.
The Competition Authority published an opinion on February 10, commissioned by the government in early 2025, on prices and margins in Martinique's food sector. According to the document, food prices there are about 40% higher than in mainland France, a gap that continues to widen. The body points to persistent 'opacity' in the margins practiced by wholesalers-importers and integrated retail players, such as the Bernard Hayot Group (GBH), Parfait, CréO, and SAFO.
The GBH, Martinique's leading retail group with a turnover of 5 billion euros and 18,000 employees worldwide, has become synonymous with high living costs in the overseas territories. As the top private employer in these areas, it faces an unprecedented storm. Benoît Cœuré, the Authority's president, expressed satisfaction at 'contributing new data to the public debate on understanding the sector's profitability.' He admitted, however, to mixed results, highlighting oligopolistic structures at every level of the supply chain, from a flour container's departure from Le Havre to store sales, involving 14 steps.
'Approach costs' to ship goods to the islands account for about 70% of the surcharges, according to GBH and confirmed by the Authority. In January 2025, Minister Manuel Valls accused GBH of 'suffocating' the overseas economy. A 2024 report by Pierre Egéa and Frédéric Monlouis-Félicité had already warned of insufficient action against oligopolies, eroding trust in the state. The opinion demands more information and resources to address this opacity.
