Brussels dreads a collapse of distribution in border areas, food prices being significantly lower in France.
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This is the big crowd in the supermarkets of Valenciennes, Maubeuge and Roubaix-Tourcoing currently, and it has the Belgian accent. We are witnessing an “exodus”, says a Belgian marketing specialist. Attracted on the other side of the border by the drop in the price of fuel, cheaper from 30 to 50 cents in the liter on average since the new discount established by the government, the customers from Outrevrain now makes massive purchases by large area due to the explosion of prices in his country.
La Voix du Nord on one side of the border, the evening of the other compared the prices and their observation is similar: to obtain themselves in France costs (much) less. The Lille daily newspaper filled a cart in July in a large area of the North and another, identical, in Mouscron, a stone throwing on the border. Out of 22 products referenced, only one (loose carrots) was a little cheaper on the Belgian side. Everything else – including beer and chocolates – was much more expensive. On dairy products or Coca-Cola, the difference can reach 50 %, and 100 % on tomatoes or razors.
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The Belgian daily has just compared the online prices of the same brand (Carrefour). For 150 products chosen, the Belgians would earn 167 euros – out of a total amount of 781 euros – if they were going to stock up in France. Ie a difference of 21.48 %. For a trolley reduced to 30 basic products, the gap remains 22 %. Pasta (+ 55 %), rice (+ 22 %), yogurts (+ 33 %) and even … fries (+ 27 %): everything is cheaper in France, except perhaps liquid soap, a pot Nutella spread and, always, carrots.
Smaller market, less fierce price war between distributors, higher VAT and wage cost, closer negotiation margin with major brands: the difference has, of course, explanations. The case, however, begins to worry the authorities, who demand an investigation at the Prix Observatory and fear a collapse of the distribution sector in border areas. The Commerce Federation Comeos requires urgent measures.
The Ministry of Economy believes that it is not the Belgian situation that is atypical, but that of France. In the Netherlands and Germany, he notes, the price of food has increased in a comparable, even superior way, to that of Belgium.
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