Inflation reached 5.9% in April 2023, according to INSEE. Up on March, the rise in prices is fueled by higher energy and service costs. Prices rose by 15% on average in April in food departments, leading households to change their consumption habits. A new trend is emerging: that of “race fragmentation”.
To pay less, some French people do their shopping in several times. They are no longer satisfied with one and the same store to fill their shopping cart. Depending on the products, they do not hesitate to change supermarkets in order to find the best price. This is particularly the case of Chloé, mother of six children, interviewed by our colleagues from Parisian.
“I take everything I can from a discounter, then I top up in several supermarkets depending on the prices,” says Chloé. After a few purchases at the Action store in Vigneux-sur-Seine (Essonne), she went 2km away to Leclerc de Montgeron. Forced to “run to the right, to the left, to be a winner on the prizes and get by”, her races turn into a marathon, the stages of which alternate between Carrefour, Super U, Leclerc, Aldi, Lidl and Action.
She is not the only one in this case. In Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin), Lou, 30, tells Actu Strabourg that she does her shopping in 5 different stores. But is splitting up shopping really profitable? Isn’t the cost in time and gas more important than the savings?
According to Audrey, mother of four children, by splitting up her shopping, she would save 100 to 150 euros per month on a budget of 700 euros. Chloé and Audrey, followers of fragmentation interviewed by Le Parisien, take advantage of the proximity of the different brands they frequent. Indeed, the commercial area of Vigneux-sur-Seine brings together over a few hundred meters NOZ, Auchan and Action. As for Leclerc de Montgeron, it is 5 minutes away.
However, not everyone benefits from such a plurality of brands around their homes. Ida, a resident of Lis-lez-Lannoy (Nord), is aware of the limits of fragmentation. “I don’t go very far, I don’t do a lot of driving, it avoids using a lot of petrol. When I look at the prices, for one or two cents, it’s not worth the 10 kilometres”, she explains to our colleagues from TF1.
Beyond the cost of transport, you have to be prepared to spend time shopping. Ida spends up to 6 hours a week in supermarkets. This Tuesday, May 16, accompanied by the cameras of TF1, she saved 20 euros after three hours spent on the shelves of three stores. The price paid according to Ida for not lowering her standard of living in this context of inflation. Fragmentation is not the only trick to save on your shopping. Others are less time-consuming and accessible to everyone. What are they ?
Audrey, 42, mother of four, reveals to Le Parisien that she orders in drive to avoid going into stores. “I don’t want to be tempted by products and offers, otherwise I buy things I don’t need”. Another tip, unsold items or “short dates” bins. Charlotte, 65, is a fervent fan. “For fruit and vegetables, I go to the market at the end, just before they pick up everything, because they cut prices.”
Other simple things you can do to save money at checkout include comparing prices by the kilo, using loyalty programs and cards, making an accurate list and sticking to it. Finally, some track down the best deals in supermarket flyers before going shopping.
