Organic, local food, preferably produced in a short-chain: during the outbreak of the Covid-pandemic, Belgians were overwhelmingly drawn to that idea. But as Covid-anxiety has subsided and inflation is peaking, they have turned their backs on their good intentions just as quickly.
Historically low organic sales
Things are not going well for the organic specialist stores: after BE O Markt pulled out of Ghent and Antwerp, The Food Hub in Leuven is also throwing in the towel. According to a survey by broadcaster BX1, Brussels organic and packaging-free stores are experiencing a “historic” decline in sales of 15 to 30 per cent. They are trying to operate with fewer staff members and are preparing for a challenging year. The chain Färm even recorded an unprecedented decline in organic consumption throughout Europe. All this after the peak year that was 2020.
Other ‘alternative’ food channels confirm this trend: the farm shops and short-chain initiatives that got a strong tailwind thanks to the Covid pandemic, have nothing but a soft breeze left. Almost a quarter of Belgians say that since Covid, they eat more locally and seasonally, but farm stores barely see more customers than before. In 2020, some of them experienced a fourfold increase, reports Belgian newspaper De Standaard. The short-chain platform Boeren & Buren currently have 30 per cent more users than in 2019, compared to 90 per cent more users two years ago.
Covid effect is fading
A temporary Covid effect is undoubtedly at play: people hardly dared to leave their homes in 2020, going to the supermarket had to be done alone and as quickly as possible. So, naturally, people looked for other solutions closer to home. Moreover, buying locally was actively promoted. Consumers also had a larger share of their household budgets available for food: there was nothing else to do anyway.
Today, however, the situation has changed altogether: energy prices are rising to new peaks, and a spike in inflation is eating away at consumer confidence and food budgets. Relatively speaking, food has also become less of a focal point in family life. The growth of e-commerce and the absence of commuters are making themselves felt in the cities.
However, this does not necessarily mean that Belgians abandon their intentions entirely. Local stores are maintaining their momentum: one in five Belgians is shopping locally again. The last time neighbourhood supermarkets took a third of all market share was back in 2000, at the start of the new millennium. Regular supermarkets are also putting more emphasis on local and sustainable product assortments. In addition, organic sales in regular supermarkets have been growing steadily for years, and this was no different in 2021.
