Farmers are angry at the “1+1 free” promotions practiced by certain brands, which they accuse of harming their income and not respecting their commitment. Do these promotions really guarantee a fair price for producers?
Florian Poncelet, president of the Federation of Young Farmers, is furious at the promotions of large retailers, which continue to offer “1+1 free” offers on fruits, vegetables and sometimes even on meat. For him, the supermarkets, which had promised to support farmers by charging fair prices, did not respect their commitment.
A “seasonal action”
Delhaize claims that this is a seasonal action aimed at launching the apple and pear season, by making an impression with very attractive prices. According to the brand, these promotions are designed to attract the attention of customers and allow them to discover these products, in the hope that they will continue to purchase them even after the promotion ends. Producers would thus be assured of selling their stocks in stores.
However, according to the specialist magazine Gondolathe fruit and vegetable market does not work this way. Consumers generally only purchase these products when they receive heavy promotions. Thus, the “1+1 free” offer can be effective during the promotion week, but sales risk falling as soon as it ends. This would be a simple economic rule.
On the producers’ side, the main fear is suffering a shortfall in income. The problem for this profession is that promotions are effective in driving sales, but without them, customers would likely have purchased far fewer apples and pears than expected.
Delhaize mass distribution producer
