Colruyt and Albert Heijn cheapest chains in Belgium

A new study confirms Colruyt as the cheapest supermarket chain in Belgium. Albert Heijn is a close second, the others are miles behind.

Strange strategy Carrefour

Colruyt and Albert Heijn are both ten per cent cheaper than number three, the Carrefour hypermarkets. The price gap between the first two and the others is so big that the rest seem to have given up the price war, a new Daltix report suggests. Several chains used the beginning of the Covid crisis in March 2020 to apply huge price hikes, which they did not turn back afterwards.

Especially remarkable is Carrefour Belgium’s price strategy: its hypermarkets try to keep the distance with the two price leaders relatively small and keep the retailer’s price image intact, but the smaller Carrefour Market stores differentiate their price levels locally. In Brussels, these supermarkets have elevated their prices to the level of the Carrefour Express convenience stores. This is quite remarkable, but given Carrefour Belgium’s recent results, it is a rather successful strategy.

In an elaborate analysis with figures and graphs, RetailDetail and Daltix delve deeper into the price evolutions at Colruyt, Albert Heijn, Carrefour and the other Belgian supermarket chains.