Original labels, wines that are accessible to the palate and the wallet, light and fruity vintages, a wider choice of whites and bubbles… Supermarkets are adapting to new consumption patterns and trying to attract customers, despite declining purchases over the year.
A context of consumer crisis
No miracle on the horizon for supermarkets or hypermarkets. Their wine fairs are opening in a delicate economic context, marked by a drop in consumption that is increasing. Bottles of red are the main victims. According to the National Committee of Interprofessional Organizations of Wines with Designation of Origin and Geographical Indication (CNIV), their sales in supermarkets have fallen from 5.1 million to 3.5 million hectoliters between 2017 and 2023. Result: the section reserved for wine has lost an average of 1.3 meters in 2023, the equivalent of 16 references, according to Olivier Dauvers, a specialist in mass distribution.
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The loss of momentum was already being felt with the fair a year ago. A NielsenIQ study, published in December 2023, noted a 4.9% decrease in the volume sold between the 2023 edition and that of 2022 and, worse, a decline of 8.4% compared to the excellent result of the 2021 wine fairs. In value, however, the fall is less sharp, due to the overall increase in prices. The total turnover of the 2023 edition thus fell by only 2.3% compared to the previous year.
Controlling price increases
Since 2022, the increase in manufacturing costs of certain materials (glass, labels or wood for barrels) has been reflected in the price of bottles in stores. This year, supermarket chains are being cunning to contain this inflation, particularly during this wine fair, by choosing more low-cost vintages. They are strongly highlighted in the catalogs.
E.Leclerc, the leading brand at fairs, is proud to offer a selection of bottles at an average price of 11 euros this year compared to 11.75 euros last year. And it emphasizes the proportion of accessible vintages: among the 65 “Incredible E.Leclercs”, which form its flagship selection, 45 are less than 10 euros. Intermarché, for its part, offers a range ranging from 2.15 euros to 890 euros, emphasizing the fact that, out of 1,777 references offered, 1,300 are below the 15 euro mark, a larger share than in 2023.
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Lidl, in the same approach, mentions “a bias that will satisfy the greatest number when we know that one in two French people say they have a budget of 6 to 10 euros per bottle”. This brand actually offers “35% of references in distributor brands (…) in response to the inflationary context”. Auchan highlights 331 wines at less than 5 euros and Casino 60% of its offer at less than 8 euros, with an average price of 9.55 euros. Organic is no exception, Biocoop claims 54% of its wines between 5 and 10 euros.
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