It had been exceptionally authorized at the end of December by the government, then had been extended by two weeks.
This Tuesday, February 15 marks the end of the sale of self-tests in supermarkets. It had been exceptionally authorized by the government at the end of December and until January 31, to cope with the influx of requests, then had been extended by two weeks. This decision had at the time angered pharmacists, who were campaigning to retain the monopoly on the sale of these Covid-19 detection devices by nasal swab.
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They finally find him on Tuesday. This is accompanied by a drop in the price of self-tests in pharmacies, from 20 to 35%. From this Tuesday, February 15, their price is set at 3.35 euros for adults and 4.10 euros for children, before a further drop of a few tens of cents scheduled for March 15. The price of antigenic tests in pharmacies is also falling, from 25 to 20 euros. These reductions are explained by the explosion in demand for tests and self-tests at the start of the year, which caused the bill for Social Security and households to soar.
The sale of self-tests in supermarkets has been a great success. Nearly 17 million were sold by large retailers between December 28 and January 16, according to the latest figures from panelist NielsenIQ, for 25 million euros in turnover. Compared to pharmacies, distributors have slashed prices, offering many of these medical devices at less than two euros per unit. Some, in particular E.Leclerc and Intermarché, have even communicated on operations “at cost price“.
Contacted, the Federation of Commerce and Distribution (FCD) said “to regret“the government’s decision not to extend the authorization, “at a time when the health situation continues to justify being able to make self-tests accessible in large numbers». The professional organization, which brings together most of the retail brands, also says that it is “still awaiting a decision on the possibility of selling the millions of boxes still in stock in the coming weeks“.
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