Supermarkets: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - France - November 2020
Overview
 
The first lockdown in France created unprecedented demand for online shopping, and most of the grocers responded well to this surge in demand. All the retailers sell online in one form or another with the majority using the Drive click&collect model. During the crisis many retailers developed new initiatives to reach vulnerable people or key workers, including tie-ups with Deliveroo and Uber Eats. Monoprix launched its delivery service using Ocado technology during the lockdown, and this is sure to spur on other developments in this area. 

The epidemic has accelerated existing trends in the market, such as the decline in the hypermarket format, growth in online shopping and a growing preference for shopping close to home and from national producers. Retailers are looking at innovative new ways to repurpose their hypermarket space and respond to consumer interest in ethical shopping. 

The discount sector is set to see some intensified competition. Lidl leads the market, but rival Aldi has acquired 450 Leader Price stores from the Casino group, which will extend its coverage. It is also investing in an extensive ad campaign, looking to boost its status. Given the economic squeeze resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic, these retailers look well placed to benefit. 

Key issues covered in this report
●	The impact of COVID-19 on the grocery retailing sector.
●	The winners and losers in the grocery retailing sector since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.
●	The growth of the online grocery channel and the boost given to it by the COVID-19 outbreak.
●	How people shop for groceries and which retailers they use for main and top-up shops.
●	How behaviours of grocery shoppers have changed since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Areas covered in this Report
This report covers the grocery sector in France with a focus on supermarket, hypermarket and convenience store operators. The report does not cover the smaller food retailers, such as specialists (bakers, butchers etc), markets, CTNs or wholesalers, in detail, nor does it cover food sold via non-food retailers, such as department stores.

The report combines analysis of the market in France including market sizes and forecasts for consumer spending on grocery items and food retailers’ sales, along with our in-depth consumer data which analyses shoppers’ behaviours in France. 

For our consumer research this year we asked questions on the following topics:

●	Who shops for groceries
●	How people shop for groceries
●	Grocery retailers used 
●	Attitudes towards grocery retailers and COVID-19-related issues.

For the purpose of this report, Mintel has used the following definitions:

Consumer spending: The total amount spent by French households (including sales tax) on food, drink and tobacco. This is for retail purchases only, and excludes foodservice spending, such as through bars, hotels and restaurants. Tobacco is the exception to this rule.

Retail sales: Total sales of all types of goods and services (excluding sales tax) by grocery retailers. It includes online sales of these retailers where the majority of sales are in bricks and mortar outlets.