In its second year, the interactive format once again featured provocative theses, with audience voting on statements such as: “Retail is a degenerative system,” “Price is not the top success factor for drugstores and discounters,” and “Retail has the greatest power to transform the food system.” A role-switching exercise among the panelists brought both clarity and tension – the goal was to go beyond the usual talking points expected in such a round.
Price, Education, Responsibility: Discount Sector Perspectives
For many consumers, price is now the deciding factor in food purchases. The past years have mostly seen shifts in market share rather than growth of organic compared to conventional. Is the success of organic food solely a matter of price? What roles do the different retail sectors play in the development of organic? And where lies the biggest lever for the socio-ecological transformation of the food system?
Hans Martin Hermann, Head of Corporate Affairs at Lidl, emphasized that all forms of retail have a role in the system. Organic pioneers gave important impulses, but the specialty organic shops alone cannot scale organic. Discounters, while unable to provide personalized advice, can reach large segments of the population. With its broad assortment, Lidl allows consumers to choose between organic and conventional – increasing organic's reach. He also highlighted customers’ price sensitivity and lack of brand loyalty, as well as a general lack of basic nutritional knowledge.
