Organic is no longer enough: consumers are attracted by other assets

"Back to growth in the organic sector: what impact are new distribution concepts having?" was the central question of the debate organized on specialized distribution channels at the latest Medfel French fruit and vegetable trade show in Perpignan. The panel was moderated by Dany La Noé of Interbio and journalist Florence Rabut, with Bertrand Chaveron president of Bio Frais, Julien Tanter director of the Naturalia network, Jean Pratx producer at Les Vergers Bio de Véronique, and Charly Lassalle co-founder of the Alentours bio store, a member of France's leading network of independent organic stores Accord bio (240 members).

+8.5% organic store traffic in 2024

In the turmoil of the last few years of crisis in the organic produce market, with declining consumption volumes and falling frequency of transactions in 2022 and 2023, food retail players have reacted strongly: reducing ranges for generalists, repositioning brands and launching new concepts more in tune with consumers' new needs in specialized organic distribution. These strategic changes have paid off: organic retailers are back on the path to post-crisis growth, with France's leading specialist chain Biocoop confirming +8.5% growth in footfall since 2023, and Naturalia and BioFrais +8%. Organic food consumption has stabilized, and 60% of consumers say they will maintain their organic consumption in the coming months, with 12% saying they want to increase it, according to the latest consumer surveys.

2-digit growth in 2025

The Bio Frais chain, with 5 stores in Haute Savoie, confirms 2-digit growth since the beginning of March 2025. The French Accord Bio network confirms growth of 5 to 30% this year, depending on the store. It comprises 240 independent stores in a wide range of formats, from 90 to 1000m2. Organic apricot grower Jean Pratx is confident about the new organic summer fruit season: "We see consumption as stable or growing". The head of Naturalia stores confirms the success of his new "farm" store concepts. "Organic is no longer enough, we've added the pillars of health and pleasure, making our stores more fun and lively, and giving pride of place to bulk products with self-service racks at the store entrances," says Julien Tanter of Naturalia.

Emerging e-marketplaces for fresh produce

Les Vergers de Véronique uses e-marketplaces for its online sales, such as CrowdFarming and PourdeBon. Deliveries are made by ChrosnoPost and ChronoFresh. CrowdFarming in France already represents over 2 million parcels shipped, 330 producers and 500 farm members, and 230 employees in Spain, France, Germany and Italy. PourdeBon is a new platform in which ChronoPost is a shareholder. It already has 80 member market gardeners and fruit growers and over 500 fruit and vegetable references on offer. "Consumers also follow us on social networks, and buy from us online because they know us," says Jean Pratx, whose online sales account for 5% of his turnover.

Tasting and freshness

For Bio Frais stores, fruit and vegetables are the most strategic department for boosting sales. "We've completely transformed our stores from an austere concept to a full-wind concept, with lower furniture for better visibility, promotions and tastings," says store president Bertrand Chaveron. Federated with wholesaler ProSol for purchasing and logistics, Bio Frais has 5 stores ranging in size from 300 to 2000m2. Located in Haute-Savoie near Geneva, they generate sales of €35 million. "We have been profitable for 3 years and have launched our growth phase with the construction of a new store," informs Bertrand.

Bio a secondary concept

For Charly Lassalle, owner of the independent Alentours Bio store in Montpellier, the challenge is to reinvent himself and win over consumers - the organic concept is secondary in the store, despite the fact that 100% of products sold are organic. 30 to 40% local sourcing, lowering prices and reducing carbon footprint. Charly is a member of Accord Bio, France's leading network of independent organic stores with 240 members. This enables him to remain autonomous in terms of sourcing.

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