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Eco-Pioneers in the Crisis: Number of health food shops has halved

2019-09-11T09:34:28.513Z


They were seen as pioneers of the sustainability movement, but the number of health food shops in Germany is falling. One has "lost sight of the customer", warns the umbrella organization.



The concern they represent is more popular than ever - and yet the number of health food shops in Germany has fallen dramatically over the past few years: anyone who wanted to eat sustainably or vegan 20 years ago did not pass the health food shops.

And although the trend towards conscious and sustainable nutrition is unbroken, the former pioneers of this development no longer benefit from it. According to the Reformhaus cooperative, the number of health food shops in Germany has more than halved in the past 20 years - from 2,800 to around 1,200 shops.

And only 900 of them are still pure health food. 300 are other constructs, such as pharmacies, which are only health food licensees and have expanded their range accordingly. The industry turnover is reportedly around 670 million euros a year.

Bankruptcy of the Vitalia chain

"The health food shop has gradually fallen into oblivion," says Cooperative Board member Rainer Plum. While classic supermarkets and drugstore chains have increasingly focused on sustainability and organic products in recent years, the health food stores have "lost sight of the customer".

Ten years ago, for example, the well-known health food chain Vitalia had to file for bankruptcy. On Wednesday, a lawsuit begins in Munich against a manager who at that time belonged to the Vitalia management. He is accused of bankruptcy and fraud. The chain has meanwhile attempted a restart, with 86 stores - much less than before.

The business has not become lighter in the meantime. The health food stores would have "overslept to take the younger generations with them," says Florian Lindner, now authorized representative at Vitalia. The whole industry has not taken the competition seriously for too long.

The organic shop has long ceased to be the major competitor for the health food shops - but the classic food retail trade and above all the drugstores. "They are now in a strong position in the field."

Source: spiegel

All business articles on 2019-09-11

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