After scarcity, abundance? While surgical masks were requisitioned by the State at the start of the epidemic in France and they have since been distributed drop by drop, via pharmacies, to nursing staff and doctors, the French will be able to buy them in supermarkets and hypermarkets in particular, and this starting next week. The bosses of the big chains of the big distribution announce to have “secured” millions of masks.
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With the announcement of the number of masks that the large distribution intends to put on sale from next week in France, there is reason to wonder about the reality of the shortage of surgical masks that has struck the country from the start of the epidemic. Representatives of nurses and doctors also said they were “outraged” to learn that the big brands were going to put on sale, as of Monday, May 4, millions of masks.
Four brands claim to have “secured” the supply of 505 million masks
Carrefour has announced that 175 million surgical masks (and more than 200 million if we include washable cloth masks) will be sold in its stores. In the Leclerc supermarkets, 170 million masks will be offered, 90 million for Intermarché and 70 million for Système U.
All these masks have not yet been delivered and the bosses of large retailers have clarified that these were “secure” orders. Michel Edouard Leclerc specified that the masks arrived in boxes of 50 and that reconditioning was underway in order to offer masks by the unit or by 10.
None of the major brands doubts their ability to sell surgical-type masks next week, which suggests that they obviously have stockpiles so as not to miss out on what promises to be a new market in France. The French never bought masks but with the date of deconfinement approaching and the obligation to wear a mask in transport in particular, tens of millions of masks will be bought each week by the French.
A maximum price set by the government … but high!
However, to prevent prices from soaring, the government has decided to set a maximum selling price: 0.95 euros including VAT for the single-use surgical mask and 47.50 euros including tax for the box of 50 masks. Visactu has seen high prices compared to the prices charged on online sales sites such as Amazon, where prices are falling and between 22 and 33 euros, including delivery.
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