Colruyt wants rules to safeguard household products' quality

Jef Colruyt, Colruyt Group‘s CEO, said he wants rules about the composition of household products. He fears customers will be tempted by cheap but, according to him, inferior products offered by price breakers.

“Not innocent”

Jef Colruyt points towards discount chains like Action, Trafic and Big Bazar, which have all become increasingly popular because they manage to sell household products at a very low price. “People cannot be fooled as the quality of these incredibly cheap products is below par”, he told newspaper De Tijd. “These products do not offer the quality promised, which is not just some innocent mistake.”

As an example, he uses toothpaste which is readily available at both Colruyt and Action. The competitor’s version was bought in bulk in Asia and according to Jef Colruyt, its composition does not meet the standards required by the Verbond van Vlaamse Tandartsen (Union of Flemish Dentists).

Danny Jenquin, Colruyt Promotions director, agrees with his CEO. “There are numerous examples like Action’s dental floss which it imports and sells in our country without any brand affiliation. At first sight, that product seems entirely comparable to our own private label, but examining Action’s dental floss shows that it is made out of polypropylene, a substance that can cause cuts and damage your gums.”

“Products meet all required standards”

Colruyt mostly objects to the fact there is not enough information for the consumer. “It is time we re-introduce minimum standards”, Jenquin said. “We are not only talking about quality but also about consumer information. Nowadays, all the relevant information is often absent or only visible in very small print.”

Action refutes there is a problem at all. “Customers will only find products that meet the current legislation and standards in our stores. They can trust Action’s products to be completely safe and non-detrimental to their health”, spokesperson Saskia Huuske said.