Rising food prices are forcing consumers to switch to more affordable products. To analyse.
According to figures from the ‘Maison de la Bio’ and ‘Biocoop’, sales of organic products have fallen by 7% to 10% for 2022 ; an unprecedented decline whether for specialized stores or for supermarkets.
A drop for specialized stores and supermarkets
yes theinflation There is a lot to do with it, more and more consumers now favor local products since all organic products cannot be produced on French territory. A figure proves it: 86% of consumers today favor local products.
The 15% growth every year on organic, it’s over
A visible difficulty in cities where many networks of stores are for sale. The general manager of Biocoop (780 stores), Sylvain Ferry, recognizes the difficulties of the sector: “Today, the 15% growth every year is over“. Same story for the president of Biocoop and the Maison de la Bio which brings together professionals in the sector: “There is a decline in volume of consumption, probably around 7 to 10% over the year 2022. And 10 to 12% in specialized brands“. Note that despite a drop in sales, Biocoop is doing better than the market and is staying the course.
Biocoop outperforms the market and stays the course
And yet, between 2010 and 2020 the organic world had tripled its sales volume, rising from 4 to 12 billion euros. The bio agency writes: “The food transition is underway, but it is not on a smooth path, it can sometimes take detours, delays… 2021 was the first year in which the organic sector experienced good growth, certainly, but less rapid, which raised the first questions about the match between supply and demand“.
Even Leclerc gives up
Ultimate proof of the difficulties of organic sector, the withdrawal of the Leclerc Centers with its ‘Leclerc Organic Market’. The retail group wanted to open 200 points of sale, they are at…20, and recently some points of sale have even closed.