Sales of fruit and vegetables in Belgian discounters stabilising

VLAM analysed the figures collected by market research bureau GfK through its panel of 5,000 Belgian households about the sales and the use of fruit and vegetables. Regarding distribution channels, hypermarkets and larger supermarkets (DIS 1) remain the most important players, with a combined volume share of nearly 50 per cent. Hard discount could not continue growing in recent years, and remained at a share of 24 per cent. The greengrocers, public market and the sales directly from the farm continue to lose ground.

In 2016, the average Belgian bought 39.1 kilograms of fresh vegetables, just as in 2015. Home use of fruit decreased slightly, to 46.6 kilogram per capita. Because of the higher average price of fruit and vegetables, spending for both product groups increased to 95.40 euro per capita for fresh vegetables, and 46.60 euro for fresh fruit. 

Within vegetables, tomatoes are front runners, with cherry tomatoes as an increasing segment, followed by carrots and onions. Within fruit, apples are bought most often, followed by bananas and oranges. Jonagold remains the most important apple variety, but loses annual share.

Forty-nine per cent of the acquired volume of fresh fruit and vegetables was bought from DIS 1 (hypermarkets and larger supermarkets) in 2016. This is 0.5 percentage point higher than in 2015. Hard discount (Aldi and Lidl) has a volume share of 24 per cent. After an annual increase between 2010 and 2015 for hard discount, a stabilisation was recorded for 2016. Local supermarkets also remained stable at 14 per cent volume share. The supermarkets combined therefore reached a share of 87 per cent. Fresh fruit and vegetables are becoming supermarket products more and more, at the expense of markets, greengrocers and direct purchases.

The home use of fresh vegetables has remained at the same level for a number of years, at 39 to 40 kilogram per Belgian. In 2016, it was 39.1 kilogram per capita, exactly the same as in 2015. Because of an increase of the average price of 2.36 euro per kilogram in 2015 to 2.44 euro in 2016, an increase of 3.4 per cent in spending was recorded, to 95.40 euro per capita. Practically all Belgian households buy fresh vegetables. They do this 58 times per year on average. Flemings and households from higher social groups buy more fresh vegetables in relation to Walloons and households from the middle and lower social groups. 

Within the fresh vegetable segment, pre-packed processed vegetables continue increasing, from 3.3 kilogram per capita in 2015 to 3.6 kilogram in 2016. These amounted to a share of nine per cent in volume and 16 per cent in spending in 2016. 

The home use of fruit decreased from 47.0 kilogram per capita in 2015 to 46.6 kilogram in 2016. This corresponds to a decrease of 0.9 per cent. After a stabilisation in 2015, fruit therefore continues the dropping trend of recent years. Just as with vegetables, a higher average price causes spending for fresh fruit to increase from 111.8 euro per capita in 2015 to 116.7 euro in 2016 (+4.4%). An average Belgian household buys fruit 51 times per year. Flemish households buy fruit more often than Walloons, and older households buy more fruit than younger ones.

Tomatoes remain the front runner in the vegetable assortment, with a home use of 6.0 kilogram per capita, followed by carrots with 5.8 kilogram per capita, and onions with 4.4 kilogram per capita. Within the tomato segment, especially cherry tomatoes are gaining ground at the expense of regular tomatoes. In value, cherry tomatoes have even become the most important segment within tomatoes by now. In 2016, the most important growers were various types of lettuce (other than butterhead lettuce; and rocket in the lead), courgettes, spinach and aubergines. Butterhead lettuce and cauliflower were recorded to have dropped. 

Flemings tend to buy bell pepper, leek, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts and spinach, in relation to Walloons, who tend to prefer onions, chicory, courgette, lettuce, shallot, endive and aubergine. People in Brussels stand out because of tomatoes, cucumber and French beans. Types of vegetables preferred by young households are tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, courgette, mushrooms, cucumbers, aubergines, and various types of lettuce. Older households on the other hand, prefer chicory, leek, types of cabbage, butterhead lettuce, celery, shallots and asparagus. 

In 2016, apples remained the type of fruit with the most home uses (8.4 kilogram per capita), followed by bananas with 7.5 kilogram per capita, and oranges with 7.3 kilogram. The home use of apples experiences an annual decrease, so that its volume share within fruit decreased from 21 per cent in 2008 to 18 per cent in 2016. Oranges, pears and grapefruit are also losing share. Some growers are melons, and some smaller types of fruit, such as raspberries, blueberries and figs. Young households tend to choose apples, bananas and melons. Older households tend to choose oranges, pears, peaches and nectarines. Within apples, Jonagold is the front runner with a volume share of 42 per cent. The home use of Jonagold is experiencing an annual decrease. In 2008, the average Belgian bought 5.4 kilograms of Jonagold, but in 2016, they only bought 3.6 kilogram per capita. Pink Lady was the most important grower in the past eight years, and became the second most important apple variety, with a home use of 0.9 kilogram per capita. In 2016, Pink Lady declined slightly. The most important grower of 2016 was Braeburn (from 0.2 to 0.4 kilogram per capita).