With the deepening of the epidemic, the major supermarkets in France have gradually returned to normal after the initial consumer boom. Despite the Government's repeated emphasis on the absence of commodity shortages, some commodities are indeed in short supply. At the same time, during the outbreak, the habits of some consumers have also changed.
What commodities are in short supply?
French "Le Figaro" reported that French Economy Minister Le Mayer once again stressed on the 30th: "Now major supermarkets and food stores are not out of stock", and clearly pointed out that "distributors purchase goods twice a day to ensure that enough goods are provided to consumers." But at the same time, he also had to admit that the supply of some goods is really tight, and some goods have few varieties, such as pasta. This happens to all the big retailers.
So, which commodities are undersupplied? Supermarket chain u said that although there has been no shortage since the implementation of the "ban", the supply of pasta, eggs and toilet paper has been relatively tight. In addition, Thierry desouches, the company's head of public relations, said: "This situation exists nationwide, with no regional exceptions. ”
Auchan Group has also experienced some shortages of goods, coupled with transportation difficulties and irresistible factors (such as hens can only lay eggs once a day), which has led to the exacerbation of this dilemma. Auchan also mentioned some commodities, such as "products related to farmland harvesting," including rice, when talking about the U system, depending on Asia's exports. Another example is dairy products such as butter and cream. In addition, there is a shortage of cleaning products, including personal hygiene products and household hygiene products. Like System U, Auchan is closely monitoring its network to estimate sales and bookings. The supply chain communicates daily to source all key products and maximize the assurance of the merchandise chain from the factory to the store.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking on national television, announced that France would implement "shutdown" measures for at least 15 days in response to the 2019 coronavirus disease. On the eve of the "closure", a large number of people lined up in Paris supermarkets to buy daily necessities and medicines. During the period when disinfection products are out of stock, even the famous Swiss liquid Viagra da Dura Conde is purchased as a disinfectant. In short, as long as the French have wine, everything is a savior, and the price and value are ignored.
Consumers return to rational processing, and food is more popular
Thierry DeSocci recalls that in the past, consumers hoarded a large number of goods due to psychological factors. For example, during the First Gulf War, "some feared it would turn into World War III." Nowadays, consumers are becoming more rational. "Customers have filled the cupboards and they know that the current situation will continue and there should be no risk of shortages."
Nielsen's survey of the evolution of large-scale sales data seems to confirm this observation: After peaking in the past few weeks, store visits have now stabilized. People's inventory work has been done, and now they need to empty it.
The reduction in store visits has also given dealers breathing room to fill the inventory shortage.
In addition, the system u also observed some changes in other consumption habits of consumers. First, per capita consumption increased, ranging from 50 euros to 90 euros. "Customers buy a lot of goods every time they come, and they come less often. At the same time, people are eating more and more at home, so they have to buy more food, which makes their bills longer. ”
Second, consumers are more inclined to buy products that can be preserved for a long time, such as canned and processed products, compared to fresh foods. This is different from the beginning of the implementation of the "foot ban": "In the eyes of consumers, unprocessed products may be more susceptible to infection".
Finally, customers prefer smaller shops, where there are fewer people and shopping is faster.
Nationally, the Confederation of French Retail Enterprises (FCD), made up of Carrefour, Casino, Picard and Francix, said france was not at risk of food shortages. The tight supply of some commodities mainly comes from large cities, which is the "illusion" caused by the large hoarding of goods in the past few days. Outside of the big cities, the situation is not so tense. In addition, the group said it was taking action to find solutions to optimize sales to avoid the "tensions" that Le Maire referred to. As for the milk, egg and poultry industries, efforts are also being made to avoid widespread shortages.