After the COVID crisis, soaring energy prices are forcing us more and more to find ways to save. More and more Belgians are going shopping in France. Some do not hesitate to travel from Brussels. And with the price of diesel which will drop to 1.50 euros in France from September 1, Belgian plates in the car parks of French supermarkets are likely to be even more numerous.
This is the case of Anne. Lhe resident of Enghien does her shopping at local merchants but also in France, because it represents “a great saving” despite the distance of 70 km. “By going to Brittany, I realized that the drinks were much cheaper, the cleaning products and all that is biscuits or cereals for the children too“, explains Anne in Cisn’t every day Sunday.
The Walloon, who does groceries for 6 people, explains that some of these products are 30 to 50% cheaper. To achieve these savings, she does not hesitate to drive until Templeuve in France. The town is located 73 km from her home. “I think I will go every 6 weeks“, she specifies. The resident of Enghien specifies that she saves 300 to 400 euros when she fills her 3 or 4 shopping carts in France for her shopping for a month and a half.
Pierre-Alexandre Billet, economist and CEO of the Gondola group, present on the set of Cis not every day Sunday, confirms that shopping in France is cheaper. “Il there is a price difference which faded away for some time, until 7-8 months ago. And then we see the price difference which increases once more on daily consumption. It is true that for daily purchases, and certainly in times of crisis, this difference can weigh on households, on people who buy a lot and on a regular basis. The impact can be quite significant.“
The economist specifies that an average household in Belgium consumes an average of 6,000 euros per year. “So if you can save 10 to 15%, it can make a difference, knowing that some people have company cars, etc. From there, the calculation becomes more and more pleasant naturally.“
Pierre-Alexandre Billet adds that on top of that, 50% of Belgians live “less than 50 km from a border“. “And French supermarkets are playing the game. They promote and advertise as far as Ghent. They voluntarily lower their prices to attract more customers. You add to this the fact that the indexation of wages does not take place at home and we end up with a price difference which is once more in full growth whereas a few months ago it was decreasing.“
