Morocco Braces for Coffee Price Hike in Cafes After Eid al-Fitr

Drink prices in cafes in several cities of the kingdom could increase by 1 to 2 dirhams after Eid al-Fitr, according to sources in the sector, specifying that a group of cafe owners in Guelmim plans an increase of about two dirhams for a cup of coffee accompanied by a 33-centiliter bottle of mineral water, bringing its price to 12 dirhams after Eid al-Fitr. But the price of a single cup of coffee will remain at 10 dirhams, it is assured.

Professionals justify this price increase by the need to "cope with the constraints facing the sector." "Indeed, a number of players in the field are discussing the introduction of a price increase for beverage consumption in cafes after the Eid period, and this is a regional rather than a national debate, as there is not yet a collective agreement on this at the level of the kingdom," explains Nourreddine El Harrak, president of the National Federation of Cafe and Restaurant Owners (FNPCRM), to Hespress.

In a statement to Hespress, El Harrak added that the announced increase will not exceed 1 or 2 dirhams "given the fact that the sector has already been characterized by a kind of stagnation in recent years, which has affected its profitability. There have been a series of closures and bankruptcies recently." And to continue: "Some professionals are concerned about this increase... The current problem is how to reconcile the legitimacy of the increase to cover expenses and maintain customer loyalty."

"The decision to consume ultimately rests with the consumer, and he is free to do so, especially since coffee consumption is not a very necessary need, but just a habit among Moroccans," says Ouadi Madih, president of the National Federation of Consumer Associations, stressing that such a price increase would be "illegal under Article 6 of Law 12.104 on price freedom and competition, which prohibits an agreement between two or more professionals, and this is a matter within the competence of the Competition Council."