According to a study conducted by Ipsos for the E.Leclerc Observatory of New Consumption. 96% of the French are feeling the increasing cost of grocery shopping. As a result of the inflation, 70% of the French admit having avoided buying certain products. In the end, the access to quality food is compromised for more than 80% of the French, especially because fresh fruit and vegetables are too expensive.
71% of the French admit having avoided certain products to limit the impact of inflation
Purchasing power remains one of the main concerns of the French. Given the current inflation, nearly 80% of the French (77%) have admitted that their purchasing power has been reduced. This is especially true for those aged 60 and over (83% of them have made this observation). Although the inflation is felt on many consumption items, it is on essential daily expenses that the impact is the greatest. Almost all French consumers (96%) have noticed the effect of inflation on their grocery shopping. Other expenses are equally affected. 90% of the French have noted the impact of the rising gas and electricity costs on their purchasing power.
As a direct consequence of an economic situation marked by soaring prices for food, gas and raw materials, many French consumers have changed their consumption habits. 71% claim to have avoided buying certain products in order to limit the impact of the rising prices. The most vulnerable populations are the first to be affected by these restrictions: 78% of people under 35, 79% workers and employees and 83% with a low income have had to reduce their spending.
70% of the French admit not having bought fresh fruit and vegetables because they are too expensive
Leisure (66%) and clothing (64%) are the first expenses to get sacrificed by the French, but reducing their grocery shopping is also a way for many of them to save some money. Nearly 60% of the French (58%) have been forced to limit their food expenses because of the increase in prices. A closer look at the concerned products reveals that 46% of the French have reduced their meat and fish consumption and 38% have lowered their consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables.
French households spend an average of 29.5€ per week on fresh fruit and vegetables. However, 69% of the French claim to go regularly without fruit and vegetables because they are too expensive. 81% of the households with low income and 68% of the people under 35 regularly choose not to buy fruit and vegetables because they cannot afford them and they complete their consumption with other food products.
This restriction is particularly noticeable for households that are in financial difficulty. More than 90% of the French do consume fresh fruit and vegetables at least once a week, but the most precarious households consume those products the least. Indeed, 42% of them spend less than 10€ per week on fresh fruit and vegetables, while 24% of the French population spends the same amount.
85% of the French think that quality food is expensive
Generally speaking, in order to reduce the cost of their groceries, French consumers have already adopted several strategies. 36% of them buy cheaper products, 23% of them buy small quantities and 20% consume less fruit and vegetables. Another striking fact is that 23% of the younger consumers claim that they ask for help with food and 12% claim to be using food banks (vs. 3% of the entire population).
Among the French that have had to stop buying certain food products, 87% regret the negative impact on the quality of their diet, as well as on their health and that of their children (66%). These food restrictions have consequences for the quality of French people’s diet. For most of them, a quality diet is balanced (48%), varied (39%) and rich in fruit and vegetables (30%). But although 74% of the French consider that they have a balanced diet of quality, 85% of them think that quality food is too expensive. This feeling is strongly correlated to the income level and professional category they belong to. Only 63% of blue-collar workers and 56% of low-income households think that they have a quality diet, compared to 84% of executives and 83% of high-income families.