2023-05-23 15:46:00
Many Belgians cross borders to shop at Leclerc, Auchan, Albert Heijn, etc. The reasons are many, according to Daltix, a research firm specializing in price comparison, starting with proximity since 50% of Belgians live less than 50 km from a border. 560,941 employees also have a company car, making travel particularly interesting since it is carried out on behalf of the employer. Daltix and Gondola Academy engaged in the exercise of comparing some 2,605 totally identical products. The conclusion is clear: the gap is widening between the prices charged in Belgium and those of our neighbours, particularly in France. According to figures from FEVIA, the Food Industry Federation, Belgians spent 543 million euros in foreign supermarkets last year. A phenomenon that is obviously not regarding to slow down…
For the comparison, Daltix carried out a price survey at Colruyt, Leclerc (France), Albert Heijn (Netherlands) and Rewe (Germany). Promotions have not been taken into account because they change too quickly, so that the differences observed may be even greater, particularly in the category of body care products, which is heavily subject to promotions, while the price difference with Belgium already amounts to 43.45%!
Food shopping prices will drop sharply in France: there will be good deals, even for Belgian consumers
First observation: France beats Belgium hands down in all the product categories analyzed. If we often mention the price difference on water, wine or even sodas, it is on the grocery/dry food section that the Belgian achieves the greatest savings (-44.36%). Frozen products, dairy products, pet products, breads and drinks are displayed at prices from 28.88 to 34.73% cheaper. On all the departments, the saving amounts to 21.41% minimum.
For Germany, the comparison was made with Rewe stores. It is traditionally a country where Belgians travel in droves to buy alcohol, and it is not without reason. A brands are on average 13.56% cheaper there than in Belgium. However, the situation is less unbalanced than in France, with Belgium performing better in categories such as non-food products, preserves and wine.
“Cross-border trade will remain a problem for Belgium, especially at a time when supermarket prices are soaring”explains Martijn Martens, research lead at the Gondola Academy. “Political decision makers should not only be concerned regarding the competitive position of retailers in Belgium, but also in neighboring countries. The consumption aspect is not sufficiently taken into account when making decisions such as taxes on the sugar, alcohol taxes, deposits, etc. Ideally, decisions on consumption should be standardized at European level, but unanimity is needed for such decisions to be taken. , which is strongly linked to the local culture, this will not be easy to achieve”.
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