Half of sales of butchers, fishmongers, fruit and vegetables are made by consumers over 60 years old

Half of total spending on traditional fresh products (fishmongers, butchers, cheeses by the slice and fruits and vegetables) is made by consumers aged over 60, Kantar reported on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the Salon de l'agriculture . There is therefore a significant generational contrast on products from agricultural production, the market research company observed in its survey published on Tuesday, February 25.

On the one hand, seniors are major consumers of these foods "that they have known since childhood", explains Kantar. They know how to prepare and cook carrots, meat or cheese and also have "more time and greater purchasing power" to buy them. On the other hand, "younger people do not have the codes, the culinary know-how, the time or the money" to prepare and therefore consume these products, explains Kantar.

The company specializing in consumer trends relies on the number of transactions in supermarkets, traditional specialized stores such as large fresh supermarkets (Grand Frais for example), markets, fairs, or even specialized stores, for example in organic. In total, sales of this type of product fell by 1.5% in 2024 and have been hit hard by inflation since 2022. "This is an adjustment variable for households' wallets because of their price," comments Kantar. The trend has been downward "for at least 5 years" in volume.

During the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns imposed to contain it, sales of these products had increased significantly since the French were more at home cooking and had a "larger budget because it was mainly devoted to food" , explains Kantar. "But post-Covid, the wealthiest households returned to restaurants, which they had been deprived of for many months, also explaining the drop in their purchases of fresh products for meals at home."