2023-05-21 06:01:00
The social conflict at Delhaize will give rise this Monday to a major demonstration in Brussels, at the call of the 3 major unions. From 10 to 15,000 participants are expected, with serious disruptions in transport, at Stib, at De Lijn and at SNCB.
On the eve of this action, we took an interest in the crises that are shaking mass distribution and which follow one another. This situation is partly explained by the large number of supermarkets on our territory.
For example, in the Georges Henri district in Brussels, over 1 km, there are 5 supermarkets. Even if the inhabitants, but also the merchants, find it practical, isn’t it a bit too much? Our country has 4 supermarkets per 10,000 inhabitants. This is twice as much as in the Netherlands. However, this competition does not lower prices, and this is explained by two factors: “The fluctuations in raw materials, ups and downs. But also the large distribution which has excessively low margins in Belgium”explains Pierre-Alexandre Billiet, general manager of the magazine Gondola, specializing in the retail trade.
The number of supermarkets has increased in recent years to accommodate consumption. “Belgians were spending more, buying in more stores, more and more products. And at a certain point, the Belgian started to spend less in structural ways.”continues Pierre-Alexandre Billiet.
Result ? Stores are closing and this leads to many job losses.
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