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Empty or poorly filled shelves are nothing new since the health crisis. But the phenomenon is getting worse. What products are affected and how can these shortages be explained?
In a supermarket near Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin), Saturday November 5, the shelves are increasingly sparse. Everywhere, dairy products, eggs and certain meats are increasingly difficult to find. “There was no flour“, laments a customer. The in-store missing product rate reached 5.8% at the end of October.
Bad harvest, rise in energy prices, epidemic in farms, the crisis with multiple factors is unprecedented for players in the large distribution sector. Its shortfall by the end of the year could reach 4.5 billion euros. Agri-food companies are therefore forced to limit their range on the shelves. “French consumers may have to get used to having less choice on the shelves“, says Olivier Dauvers, retail expert. According to specialists, the phenomenon should continue beyond next year.