“食料品消費税1%”どう思う？ レジ改修に値札交換… 名古屋のスーパーは｢減税うれしいが負担増｣ 2年間限定には｢期間延長考えてほしい｣

How are supermarkets reacting to the reduction in the food consumption tax rate to 1%? On June 23rd, we visited "Sun Ace Haruoka Store," a supermarket in Chikusa Ward, Nagoya City. When we spoke to shoppers about the reduction in the food consumption tax rate to 1%, they said… (30s) "I can't stop going to the supermarket, so the reduction in price will be a great help to my life." (60s) "Personally, I think it's fine as it is (8%). The consumption tax is fair in a sense, regardless of whether your annual income is low or high. (I'm living on a pension) and I'm heavily reliant on younger people, so I think it's better to give back through taxes and keep the economy moving." (50s) "As a consumer, I'm grateful that the (food consumption tax rate) is decreasing. Updating the system increases the burden, and that cost is passed on to the price. If it keeps changing every two years or so, the social cost burden will become large." Meeting with a cash register company… "There's no difference between 0% and 1%." Shoppers vary, but supermarkets say… (Yuki Miyashita, General Manager of Product Division, SunAce) "Our customers will be happy, so we definitely want it to happen." While there are high hopes for the tax reduction, there will also be new burdens such as the work required to remodel cash registers. The government has proposed a "1%" tax rate instead of "0%" because cash register modifications take time, but... (Miyashita) "I recently had a meeting with the cash register company, and they said there wouldn't be much difference (in terms of cost or time) between 1% and 0%." Increased labor costs due to price tag changes! Also, this store handles approximately 5,000 items, and it will require changing the price tags of each and every item. (Miyashita) Q. Will the price tags also need to be remade due to the tax rate change? "They will be remade and replaced. Checking to make sure no tags have been missed is where the labor costs come in." Reducing the food consumption tax will inevitably involve time and cost, including cash register modifications and price tag replacements, but currently, there are no plans for subsidies for this purpose. What we're asking the government to do is… (Miyashita) "Subsidies for updating our cash register systems. A period during which it's acceptable to have a mix of (different tax rate) POP displays. I think these two things would be great." Two-year limited period… "We want them to consider extending it." The "reduction in consumption tax on food products" is being considered for a limited period of two years. As a supermarket, what do we think…? (Miyashita) "The longer the 'two-year limited period' is extended, the less we'll have to do (changes to cash registers and price tags, etc.), so we want them to consider extending it." Q. (If the consumption tax rate goes down) what do you think will happen to the number of customers? "We want it to increase. We will do our best to make that happen." For more details, check out NEWS DIG! ↓ https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/...