Supermarkets are committed to offering more and more organic products on their shelves. Spurred by a consumer who is increasingly concerned about the impact of food on their health and that of the environment, as well as the current geopolitical, energy and economic situation, more and more food chains and groups see organic production as a healthy and sustainable positioning opportunity.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), in 2018 a change in the trend began in the distribution of the sale of organic food in favor of large distribution, which in 2020, according to the latest available data, reached 53 % of the total organic product marketed in Spain. To this day, supermarkets continue to increase their organic offer, and with it, consumer access to organic products.
An example is HiperDino , a group of supermarkets established in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which in 2022 raised sales of organic products to 13%, and reached 15 million euros. Currently, the banner has more than 1,200 references of organic products of all categories in its 174 stores, the HiperDino, SuperDino and HiperDino Express establishments located mainly in Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Palma and Tenerife, as well as on its online channel, according to recent data .
Lidl has also increased the ecological references on its shelves in recent years. The German brand incorporated 180,000 new buyers in the bio category in 2022, obtaining a total of 5 million ‘bio’ customers per year, 3.7% more than in 2021. Specifically, the diversification and expansion of the organic offer of the chain has tripled in the last six years. It now has a total of more than 180 products in the category, some 70 introduced in the last two years, between fixed assortment and seasonal assortment, in products ranging from fruits and vegetables, to bakery, meat and cosmetics under its own CIEN brand. BIO, reflect the data published in February.
Along the same lines, as a recent study of supermarkets carried out by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) points out, large national retailers such as Alcampo , Carrefour , Eroski or El Corte Inglés add organic products to their catalogs -most of them MDD- to offer consumers a basic shopping basket with at least half of its products certified organic, fair trade or sustainable. Among the most common products are extra virgin olive oil, natural yogurt, whole milk, rice drink, chocolate, coffee, eggs or cooked legumes. Other national food chains such as Condis, Consum , Aldi or Caprabo also offer 25% or more of the basic basket products with organic certificates, the same report highlights.
The bio category in retail increases in terms of sales and also consistency, with groups increasingly aligned with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability policies, with actions focused on reducing the impact on the environment by reducing of the presence of plastics in the packaging, or the supply through clean and renewable energies, with the installation of photovoltaic panels in warehouses, among others.
It is also worth noting the presence of specialized chains in the organic market, such as Veritas , Herbolario Navarro and Bioconsum , and the e-commerce Naturitas or Planeta Huerto , among other notable initiatives. The organic specialist channel offers a greater wealth of small, local and diverse brands, an essential element for a sustainable organic market.
The increase of organic products in supermarkets is perceived as an opportunity, as it gives greater visibility and raises awareness of organic products and their value for health and the environment, while promoting the fundamental values of the organic sector, such as sustainability, environmental and social responsibility and quality.
In addition to all this, and given the threat of greenwashing , educating consumers about the importance of organic certification and the responsible purchase of organic products, whether in large distribution or specialized stores, continues to be a priority in the organic sector.
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