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Belgian customers no longer need to cross the border to get the cheapest shopping basket, claims Colruyt. the discounter claims to be cheaper than Dutch competitors such as Jumbo and Albert Heijn or French rivals like E. Leclerc and Auchan.
Significant differences
The Belgian market leader is launching a remarkable campaign with a slogan, translating to: “The cheapest shopping basket knows no borders”. The retailer wants to win back shoppers who cross borders, arguing that an average shopping basket is cheaper at Colruyt in Belgium than at stores in France or the Netherlands, two neighbouring countries. In addition, customers also save on car journeys.
Colruyt compared a shopping basket at its Sint-Gillis-Waas store with three Dutch stores a bit further out, which are popular with Flemish customers: Albert Heijn and Jumbo in Hulst and Plus in Koewacht. According to Colruyt’s calculations, the differences are pretty significant: Albert Heijn is 34 percent more expensive, Jumbo 21 percent and Plus as much as 42 percent.
Near the French border, Colruyt compared the prices of its store in Mouscron with those of four competitors: E.Leclerc in Wattrelos is 13.07 percent more expensive, Auchan in Roncq 15.04 percent, Carrefour in Wasquehal 16.65 percent and Match in Wattrelos even 25.05 percent.
Average shopping basket
Colruyt’s claims are striking because, for years, groceries have been cheaper in the Netherlands and France than in Belgium. The discounter says this is no longer the case for an average shopping basket. “We see that this gap has now clearly closed, and we are even cheaper”, says spokesperson Eva Biltereyst. There could still be price differences at the level of individual products.
What does Colruyt mean by the term average shopping basket? The retailer examined how they composed the average weekly shopping basket of an average Colruyt Lowest Prices customer. “We ensured a balanced distribution between the different product categories and brand layers. Then, we selected the most frequently purchased products within these categories, which have a comparable alternative at stores in the Netherlands or France.” Colruyt subsequently compared those prices on the same day.
According to Colruyt, such a price comparison gives a realistic indication of the average price differences. “The principle is the same as that of our Price Barometer with which we compare prices in Belgium”, says Biltereyst. Colruyt is not only running this campaign on its website but also regionally through its social media channels and at the side of the road in the regions near the borders.
