The Jour 2 Marché (J2M) brand has a real sword of Damocles on the head. The store is brand new. It just opened at Puygouzon on the outskirts of Albi, route de Castres. The boss hired five employees in early July. But the store could be forced to close when he receives his electricity bill.
Astronomical bill
The brand, created in 2016 in Béziers, had so far 12 stores. But it has just closed two – located in the Loire – in Feurs and Saint-Galmier, near Saint-Etienne. An overnight closure a few weeks after their inauguration. And these two stores had opened almost at the same time as that of the Tarn. And they closed because of the “astronomical” electricity bill received in July and August. Admittedly, the company’s dozens of fridges are consuming, but not to the point of explaining this increase.
The Albi store, which took out the contract at the same time as the two Loire stores, could therefore also receive a bill of around 15,000 euros per month. An amount ten times larger than forecast. Not viable, believes the director, who despite everything wants to remain optimistic. Especially since the brand, which sells destocked groceries, is doing well, he says. Customers are there. But the electricity prices for large consumers (those with a contract for more than 36 kilowatt hours) have gone crazy and are unregulated. The price per kilowatt hour has gone from 80 to 1,000 euros in certain cases with certain suppliers. So, the sign is in the process of signing the dismissal of nine employees of the two stores in the Loire. She believes that her development will not be able to continue for the moment. And the leaders are crossing their fingers to save the Albi site.
The CCI appeals to the State and the Region
Companies, which are currently negotiating or renegotiating their electricity contracts, are very affected by the increases. And the president of the Tarn CCI, Michel Bossi, expects other structures to be in big trouble in the weeks to come. “We are in a situation where we can no longer control energy increases at all. Many companies have negotiated their energy contract, often for two to three years. There are many contracts that will fall at the end of the year, and many companies will find themselves in real difficulty. I am thinking in particular of certain trades such as trades that work with terracotta, briquettes and pottery, glass trades, etc. It will be very complex. We have no visibility. Companies cannot integrate the increases into their economic model”. The State and the Region must support the largest electricity consumers argues Michel Bossi. “IWe will have to help these companies otherwise they will not be able to survive.”