- The value of sales of products (food or not) sold in bulk increased by 41% in 2019 in France, all distribution channels combined. Regarding organic, the increase was 15.7% in 2018.
- Large retailers now have their own organic brands, which they highlight on their shelves, and bulk is also growing there.
- But this movement has its limits. Particularly in terms of price, according to consumer associations.
40%. This is the share of French households who bought products in bulk in 2019. A proportion up 41% compared to 2018, for a total of 1.2 billion euros. Organic products, food or not, are not outdone, with sales estimated at 9.7 billion euros in 2018 (+ 15.7% compared to 2017).
These figures, from a study by the Réseau Vrac association and the Nielsen firm, show the growing interest of the French in sustainable consumption, an attraction brought by the development of independent grocery stores and specialized stores (Biocoop, Day by Day ...). But if we want to eat (or drink) organic, local or plastic-free - in short, eco-responsible - can we do this today, not by going to specialized networks, but to the supermarket?
Products, labels, codes…
"Products of the region", "Organic farming", "Zero packaging" ... The supermarkets, symbols of mass consumption and industrial production, no longer hesitate to highlight their eco-responsible ranges.
If bulk is still only a “niche” market in mass distribution (0.75% of the market share “excluding fresh products”, according to the same study by the Bulk Network), hyper and supermarkets have invested in sector: they represent 50% of sales. In addition, 70% of them have a dedicated department.
Large supermarkets also rely on organic products. According to the Responsible Distribution Observatory, in 2019, supermarkets listed 72% more organic products compared to the previous year. Large distribution groups - which include several brands - are investing, since the number of organic private label products has increased by 96% over the same period. Result: organic products today represent 4.8% of products in supermarkets.
These products generally have their own label and commercial operations. Carrefour has created the "Bio experience", Intermarché is inaugurating a new store concept "Eat better and act better", E. Leclerc offers its "Bio village" departments. Sellers in aprons, wooden stalls, green inscriptions ... The chains now have their name and recognizable graphic codes. And in the same way, we can no longer miss posters and labels highlighting partnerships with local producers, like the “U of” (Corsica, Brittany, Alsace) for Système U, or the "Our regions have talent" by E.Leclerc.
A question of price
But the energy deployed to promote these initiatives is not without criticism. First of all, the price. In August 2019, UFC-Que Choisir criticized the margins of supermarkets on organic products. “Supermarkets apply the same margin rate as other products. However, the cost of organic is greater than the purchase. Their margin in absolute value therefore naturally increases, ”says Olivier Andrault, head of the food mission for the consumer association. The UFC-Que Choisir also mentioned increased margins on the most consumed products, while a larger volume should, on the contrary, lower prices. "Consumers do not benefit from the volume effect on prices that large retailers should bring," adds Olivier Andrault. This removes the incentive effect ”.
Organic is not the only one to have its prices discussed. Bulk, too, raises questions when going to the supermarket checkout. "There are certain products of the same brand, in the same store, more expensive in bulk than packaged," says Celia Rennesson, co-founder of the association Réseau Vrac. "If the bulk is well done, it can be more expensive, because it requires a lot of hygiene measures, labor and customer service," she adds to justify the prices in store. specialized. The cleaning of the silos at each refill, the specific management of the departments to avoid waste, advice on the consumption of these products… None of these procedures are applied in supermarkets, ”she says.
Contacted by 20 Minutes , the Lidl, Carrefour, Auchan, E.Leclerc, Casino, Système U and Intermarché brands did not answer - or did not wish to answer - our questions at the time of writing.
The environmental impact of transport
Another subject on the table, transport and its impact on the environment. "We can consume a product without packaging or organic, if it comes from the other side of the world, we lose ecological interest", develops Lisa Faulet, food project manager at CLCV. She explains that if the supermarkets start selling organic products, they continue to offer products out of season (for example strawberries or tomatoes in winter). To find them, local productions (in greenhouses) are not enough, and you have to look abroad, which requires more transport, and therefore additional pollution. "In addition to transport, this requires specific, energy-consuming storage conditions," she adds.
Wanting out of season has consequences on the environment, but also on the quality of products. "Tomatoes will be organic if they meet European standards, there is no doubt. But if you consume it in winter, it means that they will have been grown in a greenhouse, explains Lisa Faulet. In addition, they will be transported in the cold to keep them in good condition, and will no longer have tastes on arrival. ”
A first recognition of bulk
Celia Renneson, of the Bulk Network, prefers to see the positive side of the development of this type of product in supermarkets. She encourages them to continue the movement, while asking for the implementation of "good practices" already applied in small grocery stores.
A step has been climbed in this direction, since the bulk obtained for the first time an official recognition in the bill Circular Economy 2020. Bulk products will henceforth have a real status, and all the products will be able to be marketed. except a specific directive which would be justified by a risk for public health (corrosive products, for example). Consumers will be able to use their own container in stores, provided that they are clean, and stores with a surface area of more than 400 m² will be obliged to make reusable containers available to consumers.
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A new organic label
The Federation of Organic Agriculture (Fnab), which has worked with the Picard frozen food group, announced Tuesday the launch of the "French Fair Organic" label (BFE). The goal: to guarantee consumers organic vegetables produced in France and a remunerative price for organic farmers.
The Fnab relies in particular on the work of the expertise firm Xerfi Precepta, according to which “the risk of seeing the organic denatured from its original values is constantly increasing in the face of the explosion in demand and the offensives of conventional brands and of large distribution ".
- Economy
- Supermarket
- crossroads
- Intermarché
- Organic
- Leclerc
- Consumption