Auchan unpacks the fruits and vegetables of its producers
Saturday 01.08.2009, 04: 47 - The Voice of the North
In front of Auchan and the market, customers are lining up to buy fruits and vegetables. In front of Auchan and the market, customers are lining up to buy fruits and vegetables.
| ECONOMY |
To help French producers dispose of mature fruits and vegetables, the Ministry of Agriculture allows supermarkets to be sold at unpacking. Yesterday, today, Friday and next Saturday, they can install a "market" in their parking. Carrefour Market does not participate. Auchan, yes.
BY CÉCILE RUBICHON
bethune@info-artois.fr "Come on, ladies, do not hesitate," shouts a woman in front of a wall of boxes. Full of melons, nectarines, apricots, carrots, salads ... If customers did not all grow red and green carts, we could believe in the market. "The smell comes out, it's a market atmosphere," says Julien Leroux, manager of Auchan's fruit and vegetable department. "That's the whole idea of unpacking. "Make people want to buy. Attract the view (just in front of the main door, you can not miss this ray in the open air), smell, hearing. A facilitator helps customers choose their melons and other fruits, offers them tastings. She plays the primeurs, but her role is incomplete. She is a cashier without a cashier.
Marketing that works well. "It does not stop, it has boosted sales," says Julien Leroux. However, some customers have realized: between the prices displayed on the parking and those who are hung above the fruit and vegetables section, inside, there is no difference. "Otherwise, it would be self-competition, it's forbidden," says Julien Leroux.
Philippe and Annie Dubout came just for this sale unpacking. "Yesterday (Thursday), while shopping, we saw posters. We came to help the producers. But we thought it was the producers themselves who sold their products. It's a little misleading. They wonder "if they (the distributors) do not profit a little". Less than usual. Auchan also wants to "help producers cope with this year's overproduction and declining consumption." By lowering its margins. From 15 to 20% on average, they are currently reduced to 5 or 10%. "We sell almost at cost," insists Julien Leroux. To quickly destock fruits and vegetables harvested in bulk, supermarkets also play on quantities. "The lot policy". For example, yesterday tomatoes were sold in boxes of 2,5 kg. And beans 2 kg.
Auchan goes even further, wants to be generous with all producers, not only those in the South. Melons, peaches, apricots, zucchini, leeks, garlic, tomatoes, artichokes ... The Ministry of Agriculture has drawn up a list of varieties to sell urgently. It includes few specialties of Nord - Pas-de-Calais. "In general, we are allowed to sell unpackaged French productions. A small Bethune farmer told us that his salad field was well drained too. Then the distributor takes care of him "give a little help". As a result, in seasonal fruits and vegetables, the customer has a choice almost as wide as inside. •
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