After several days marked by a large crowd in supermarkets, things seem to be gradually getting back in order. This Monday, the Minister of Economy repeated that there was "no shortage today in department stores, in food businesses". Bruno Le Maire also clarified taking stock " twice a day " with the distribution players, in order to verify " that the French have enough to get their supplies ". However, the boss of Bercy recognized " tensions on certain products " and " less variety on a certain type of product ", such as pasta.
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Bruno Le Maire's overall observation is shared by all of the large retailers. But what are these products still " under tension "? Asked, the System U group explains that it has been " always a bit the same " since the start of containment, like pasta, eggs or toilet paper, despite the absence of risk of shortage. In addition, these products are victims of their success across the country, says the company's communications manager, Thierry Desouches: no local specifics, therefore.
The Auchan group also notes a tension in certain categories " by an additional effect of storage of consumers ", a situation aggravated by transport difficulties and the understandable influence of the laws of nature, for example on eggs: " the hens only lay eggs once a day, ”recalls the brand. Auchan, however, adds several other products to the energized categories mentioned by System U, citing in particular “ products linked to harvest campaigns ”, including rice, depending on exports from Asian countries, “ milk derivatives ”, such as butter and cream, or " cleaning products ", both for the home and for personal hygiene. Like System U, Auchan carefully monitors its network, in order to establish " sales and order forecasts ". The supply chain communicates on a daily basis to " source all sensitive products and guarantee the best possible chain of merchandise, from factory to store ".
Changes in consumption patterns
The groups therefore want to be reassuring about the situation. System U notes that the situation has gradually subsided, after the excitement of the first days. " There are psychological springs that play and manifest themselves concretely, by pushing people to stock up on these products, " analyzes his communications manager. A situation already seen in the past, for example at the time of the first Gulf War, in 1991: " some people feared that these events degenerate into World War III and constituted stocks, " recalls Thierry Desouches.
Today, " customers are buying more reasonably, consumers have already filled their cupboards and they have understood that the situation will last and that there is no risk of a shortage ". This observation seems to be confirmed by the surveys carried out by the Nielsen institute on the evolution of sales figures in mass distribution: after a peak at the strongest moments of the last weeks, such as the announcement of the transition to stage 3 or the Speeches by Emmanuel Macron, store visits are now stabilizing. The stocks of individuals are made, they must now be emptied!
This gradual drop in attendance helps distributors to fight against stock-outs. “There may be tensions, but they remain punctual and they have nothing to do with those observed at the start of confinement. We will always have the means to consume pasta, despite the reduction in the number of references offered on the shelves, ” reassures Thierry Desouches.
System U also notes several changes in the behavior of buyers visiting its stores. First, the average basket of a supermarket customer almost doubled, from around 50 euros to 90 euros. At the same time, attendance, in number of people, has decreased. “ Customers do big shopping, they go to the store less often. At the same time, they eat more at home, and therefore have to buy more food, which increases the overall bill, ”summarizes the manager.
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Then, consumers buy " more canned, processed products than fresh products ", a modification compared to the beginning of confinement, which can be understood by a double movement: the punctual closing of these shelves, in stores, d on the one hand, and the " disaffection of these products, for the benefit of those produced ". " Raw products can be, in the eyes of buyers, more suspect of possible contamination, " says Thierry Desouches by way of explanation. Finally, customers now prefer the " small local store, where you shop faster, with fewer people, " adds the manager. Again, Nielsen's data seems to confirm this last observation.
Nationally, the Federation of Commerce and Distribution (FCD), which brings together several large brands, including Carrefour, the Casino group, Picard and even Franprix, insists that there is " no proven risk of food shortage in France ”. The impression of a lack for certain products comes mainly from the situation in the big cities, where “ a feeling of unavailability of certain products ” was driven “ wrongly ” by the rushes of the first days to make stocks, indicates the FCD. In the rest of the country, on the contrary, the situation was less tense. In addition, the organization says it is " mobilized to find solutions and optimize opportunities ", in order to avoid as much as possible the " tensions " mentioned by Bruno Le Maire.
Interprofessions, such as those for milk, eggs or poultry, are also working to limit the stock shortages seen here and there on the shelves. One of the solutions mentioned by the Federation is in particular the " possible reallocation [...] of products intended in normal times for hotels and catering ", in order to avoid waste and to offer outlets to producers.