According to a study by the NielsenIQ institute, one item in particular was missing from supermarkets in June, and that was not sunflower oil. Spring, it’s mustard. Sunflower oil, duck, mustard, flour, pasta… Since the beginning of the year food shortage develop differently. To better understand these shortages on shelves, the research institute NielsenIQ has created a barometer that measures shortage rates in supermarkets and the products most affected. This report appears monthly in the columns of retail magazine LSA.
Mustard: the product with the greatest scarcity
The discovery, the knowledge, the find. From June 20th to 26th, three departments in particular will be affected by these storage bottlenecks. Grocery (33%), fresh produce (29%) and liquids (18%). With reference to Products that are most often missing from the shelves, Mustard is the clear winner. Mustard is ahead of frying oils, cooking oils, soups, salad dressings, flour, and fresh soups, in that order. Mustard is the product that experienced the biggest shortage in supermarkets in June. One of the favorite condiments of the French remains mustard. And it’s rare in supermarkets. Mustard jars have therefore disappeared from the shelves for a few weeks and their price has increased by 9% in one year.
The reasons for food shortages in supermarkets
“Climate conditions, poor harvests, […] have significantly accelerated shortages of certain products since the beginning of the year, undermining on-shelf availability in 2022,” said a NielsenIQ expert named François Laffontan.
For mustard, for example, the lack of availability can be explained by a historic drought in Canada in the summer of 2021. This country supplies 80% of the mustard seeds used in France. In the case of sunflower oil, the cause is different. However, it is up The current situation. The affected countries are responsible for 80% of sunflower oil exports worldwide. Therefore, in order to reduce the damage, the state temporarily authorized manufacturers to replace sunflower oil in the composition of their articles. And that without having to change the packaging.
The products are gradually returning to the supermarkets
Moreover, contrary to what one might think, the consumer is not not the only one to feel this lack. They also result in huge financial losses for brands and retailers. Like Leclerc, Carrefour and Intermarché. All these supermarkets also feel the lack of products and the dissatisfaction of its many customers. “In the first 6 months of the year, the loss of revenue due to shortages already amounts to 1.9 billion euros, and unlike in Canada, the United States or Great Britain, the situation has not really improved in the short term,” announces NielsenIQ. The good news is that flour, mustard and oil gradually return to the shelves. And that for a few weeks. However, it is difficult to predict a quick return to normality.