last updated 8th June 05
By 4ecotips

Statistics show growth could reach 25% annually

A report in French News, says organic produce, or bio in France, is expanding. Year on year, figures show turnover growth of anywhere from 15% to 20% or even 25%.

This year it is estimated that 20% more organic shops will open in France. Bio shops have been around for years. Franchise leader La Vie Claire started in 1946. Naturalia opened its doors in 1973 and the first co-operative organic shop, Biocoop started out in 1970.

Until recently it was a bit of struggle in a niche market. The take-off occurred about five years ago. In France 42%, of the population bought an organic product in the first four weeks of 2004, against 33% in 2003.

It seems that the habit is acquired at the specialist shelves in big supermarkets and that customers then seek out the experts to buy in a more informed way. The phenomenon is not limited to the larger cities; it must be making the big chains, endlessly battling eith each other on lower and lower margins, quite jealous.

More and more people are trying to understand the labels listing what is in the food they buy – and growing irritated at how difficult it is to make sense of them. Until the big stores answer this need they will go on losing customers to their little organic rivals.