Health food stores have the edge

Organic products are also very common in food retail

 The sale of organically produced food cannot do without the conventional food retail trade (LEH), but in contrast to the conventional segment, natural food shops and direct marketing close to the producer are more important for organic products. Organic food stores account for 25 percent of the total sales of organic food in Germany, 16 percent from farm sales, weekly markets and street stalls and six percent from organic supermarkets with a retail area of ​​at least 250 square meters. 24 percent of the organic products are sold in classic superstores and supermarkets as well as small grocery stores and department stores, four percent of the total turnover is accounted for by discounters. These are the results of the ZMP/CMA analysis based on the GfK Eco Special Panel, which covers the period from October 2002 to September 2003.

In terms of sales, milk and dairy products form the strongest group of organic foods with a share of 16 percent. In this segment alone, two thirds are organic milk. Vegetables and salads make up twelve percent of sales of organic food, with carrots, lettuce and tomatoes being the top-selling products. Bread/baked goods and beverages each account for ten percent of expenditure on organic food, while meat and sausage products account for nine percent. In contrast to the conventional segment, where pork is the most important product, 40 percent of sales in the organic segment are made with beef and veal. Fruit accounts for seven percent, with organic apples and organic bananas being favorites.

The importance of the places of purchase varies from product to product. When it comes to milk and dairy products, as well as frozen food, ready-to-eat meals and preserves in organic quality, the food retail trade is in the lead, while the organic food trade is particularly strong in the areas of fruit, pasta, rice, flour, grain products as well as bread and baked goods. Consumers buy an above-average number of potatoes, meat, vegetables and salads from organic farmers. The strength of drugstores lies in beverages and baby food as well as in the traditional dry range, i.e. spreads, grain products and spices.

Source: Bonn [ZmP]