When did food in France get so stupidly expensive?

When did food in France get so stupidly expensive?

Author
Discussion

Kermit power

Original Poster:

28,634 posts

212 months

Tuesday 15th August 2017
quotequote all
Currently on holiday in France... The price of food in supermarkets is simply staggering!

Things like onions, apples and red peppers are getting on for three times the price of a UK supermarket.

Any thoughts on why this would be?

sunbeam alpine

6,936 posts

187 months

Tuesday 15th August 2017
quotequote all
I've lived in Belgium for the last 20 years and each time I come to the UK I'm staggered how cheap prices are in UK supermarkets. Can't speak for France.

The Leaper

4,937 posts

205 months

Tuesday 15th August 2017
quotequote all
Was in Italy (Tuscany) recently for 10 days. Supermarket food was very reasonably priced so comfortably affordable for the 7 of us.

R.

cuprabob

14,419 posts

213 months

Tuesday 15th August 2017
quotequote all
The Leaper said:
Was in Italy (Tuscany) recently for 10 days. Supermarket food was very reasonably priced so comfortably affordable for the 7 of us.

R.
Apologies, a bit off topic but we're the 7 of you "Lords" by any chance?

"7 Lords are Leaping" smile

smifffymoto

4,527 posts

204 months

Tuesday 15th August 2017
quotequote all
France doesn't have the same screw every supplier to the floor attitude and also prices are more strictly controlled,loss leaders for example are not allowed.
Personnally I think quality is higher in France also.

Perik Omo

1,883 posts

147 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
smifffymoto said:
France doesn't have the same screw every supplier to the floor attitude and also prices are more strictly controlled,loss leaders for example are not allowed.
Personnally I think quality is higher in France also.
The other thing is that a lot of the fresh produce (particularly meat) is locally sourced, our local Intermarche has meat, milk and veges sourced from very local producers.

croyde

22,702 posts

229 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
We used to holiday in the South of France every year and the food from the supermarket was such good quality and so much cheaper than the UK.

Then the bloody Euro came in.

My mum is Dutch and still complains about the cost of stuff over in her country. They often come here to buy stuff cheap. Used to be the other way round.

rdjohn

6,135 posts

194 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
Quality is always much better in France, provenience is important to the consumer.

In April, my wife bought a Cauliflower in Aldi for £0.29p. The next one she bought in France cost €2:95. Perhaps, the biggest difference we have noticed.

Since the tax hikes, I think that French markets are really struggling as consumers are now looking for cheaper alternatives.

I think a weekly shopping bill in Spain is about 10% cheaper than UK.

It was interesting, that on a recent visit to Venice, their main market was cheaper than our local French one, despite everything having to be shipped from the mainland.

glasgow mega snake

1,853 posts

83 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
Kermit power said:
Currently on holiday in France... The price of food in supermarkets is simply staggering!

Things like onions, apples and red peppers are getting on for three times the price of a UK supermarket.

Any thoughts on why this would be?
Since we voted for brexit and then came up with a heads-in-sand implementation tactic and since £1 became worth about €1.10

NorthDave

2,355 posts

231 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
I really like the french approach - assuming some of these profits actually make it the producer. In the UK we are too price driven which has to drive down quality.

I'm in France at the moment and quite often pop to the supermarket for dinner. When I'm paying I often think I could have eaten out for the same price as this! I'm not shy when it comes to eating though.

BoRED S2upid

19,643 posts

239 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
rdjohn said:
Quality is always much better in France, provenience is important to the consumer.

In April, my wife bought a Cauliflower in Aldi for £0.29p. The next one she bought in France cost €2:95. Perhaps, the biggest difference we have noticed.

Since the tax hikes, I think that French markets are really struggling as consumers are now looking for cheaper alternatives.

I think a weekly shopping bill in Spain is about 10% cheaper than UK.

It was interesting, that on a recent visit to Venice, their main market was cheaper than our local French one, despite everything having to be shipped from the mainland.
Almost 3 quid for a cauliflower!!! That's rediculous.

Podie

46,630 posts

274 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
Isn't the default PH answer "Brexit" ?

hehe

Puggit

48,355 posts

247 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
Aldi has really spread fast in France as a result of supermarket food costing so much.

The good news is a that good wine is still considerably cheaper. We were buying a 4 bottle box of very drinkable sauv blanc for €9 or a bottle of local pink fizz for €4.50.

Kev_Mk3

2,740 posts

94 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
It swings around I've found so something's are cheaper some more expensive always been the same. The quality in France is so much better IMO though so I don't actually mind

Fats25

6,260 posts

228 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
BoRED S2upid said:
Almost 3 quid for a cauliflower!!! That's rediculous.
My wife paid £30 for a Pumpkin when she arrived here just before Halloween 3 years ago. I've not let her forget it, and we've never bought another once since.

leyorkie

1,636 posts

175 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
As above re the Euro
When a Euro is 93p not 62p it's expensive.
Some prices have gone up but you have just not to think in £s
Fresh fruit and veg is seasonal, green beans etc at the moment but there not flown in from Kenya. Try finding strawberries the season has practically passed. Cauliflowers start at 3€ then drop down to 90cents then back up as the season comes and goes.
Lidl and Aldi are spreading just as in the U.K.

Be thankful that you are only here for a week or two not all year

Puggit

48,355 posts

247 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
Fats25 said:
My wife paid £30 for a Pumpkin when she arrived here just before Halloween 3 years ago. I've not let her forget it, and we've never bought another once since.
eek

shakotan

10,679 posts

195 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
BoRED S2upid said:
rdjohn said:
Quality is always much better in France, provenience is important to the consumer.

In April, my wife bought a Cauliflower in Aldi for £0.29p. The next one she bought in France cost €2:95. Perhaps, the biggest difference we have noticed.

Since the tax hikes, I think that French markets are really struggling as consumers are now looking for cheaper alternatives.

I think a weekly shopping bill in Spain is about 10% cheaper than UK.

It was interesting, that on a recent visit to Venice, their main market was cheaper than our local French one, despite everything having to be shipped from the mainland.
Almost 3 quid for a cauliflower!!! That's rediculous.
So is your spelling of 'ridiculous'.

justinio

1,151 posts

87 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
glasgow mega snake said:
Since we voted for brexit and then came up with a heads-in-sand implementation tactic and since £1 became worth about €1.10
It took more than 12 hours for the 'B' word to be mentioned. Come on PH we can do better than that!

Kermit power

Original Poster:

28,634 posts

212 months

Wednesday 16th August 2017
quotequote all
leyorkie said:
As above re the Euro
When a Euro is 93p not 62p it's expensive.
Some prices have gone up but you have just not to think in £s
Fresh fruit and veg is seasonal, green beans etc at the moment but there not flown in from Kenya. Try finding strawberries the season has practically passed. Cauliflowers start at 3€ then drop down to 90cents then back up as the season comes and goes.
Lidl and Aldi are spreading just as in the U.K.

Be thankful that you are only here for a week or two not all year
It is most definitely not down to the Euro exchange rate, and it's also not down to better quality in France.

Red onions imported from Spain in the UK, 80p per kilo in Sainsburys.

The exact same product here, €5 per kilo.

The change in the exchange rate since the referendum should hit imports into the UK much the same as they hit my spending power here, plus even so, the drop from €1.3 or so to 1.1 is in no way large enough for that difference.

Lastly, the price difference was similar last time we were here before the vote.