Due to the conflict in Ukraine, three department store chains in Belgium have decided to limit the sale of flour and oil per person. They want to avoid a stock shortage and be able to supply all their customers. Some rays are therefore sparse. But consumers are less worried than in the midst of a pandemic.
This Tuesday morning, in a supermarket in the capital, the flour shelves are half full. The same is true for sunflower oils. A sign tells consumers to limit when shopping. Now these products are rationed at Aldi, Colruyt and Carrefour. This is a preventive measure according to these signs.
“This way, there will be enough products on the shelves for everyone and our staff will of course continue to replenish stock. We thank our customers for their understanding”, indicated the Colruyt group.
I took no precautions about the war in Ukraine
Are consumers so worried about a shortage because of the war in Ukraine? So far, not really. “I did my shopping normally, I don’t stock up like two years ago”, testifies a lady. “I make my own bread, I use flour regularly but I took no precautions in relation to the war in Ukraine”, says another customer. “It’s silly since there are enough reserves. There’s no problem, it’s all there.” still believes an older gentleman.
This is likely to trigger an even greater fear
Large-scale distribution operates at tight flow and wants to avoid supply disruptions. This explains this inventory management. A strategy that can be counterproductive. “Three distributors today limit purchases of certain products, but it’s true that this is a very atypical and very special signal to convey to consumers. This risks triggering an even greater fear and exacerbating these food fears that we read everywhere and which will certainly fall on us in the months to come but which is rather a food transition more than a limited crisis in the time”, says Pierre-Alexandre Billiet, food consumption specialist and professor at Solvay-ULB.
A price increase of 15 to 20% is expected by the end of the year.
Rising prices are a long-term phenomenon. “By the end of the year, prices are expected to increase by 15 to 20%, depending on the promotions, the offers that will be made and precisely the flexibility that the distributors will have. But there is a rise in prices which is undeniable given the scarcity of certain raw materials, given the increase in energy prices”predicts the professor.
According to this specialist, consumers will have to adapt and change their habits.