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Leclerc: a unique ‘discount’ offer on personal care products


Leclerc, the undisputed leader in the French retail sector, has managed to surprise not only its customers but us as well with a range of personal hygiene products priced at €2.50, given that, today, around one in two French people cannot afford to buy personal hygiene products. Leclerc’s range – having become the leader in hypermarkets over the years, at the expense of Carrefour and Auchan – includes five products: soap, shampoo, toothpaste, a toothbrush and cotton buds. The expression ‘douche froide’ is a very French play on words that highlights the poverty of a large part of the population and the shock of recent impoverishment for a significant proportion of them.

AuchanCarrefourDiscountNon-food
 

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Amazon on Whole Foods


“Over the past two years, we have cut prices and doubled the number of promotions to deliver greater value to our customers,” wrote Buechel. “Since 2017, savings like these have added up to hundreds of millions of dollars for customers. We’re arguing that you don’t have to choose between quality and value, and we’re offering industry-leading prices on high-quality food. ... “We were the first retailer to launch our certified organic regenerative products, and we are proud that, in 2025 alone, more than 61% of all fresh produce sold in our stores was organic, compared to an industry average of 16%”

AmazonOrganicPrivate LabelWhole Foods
 

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The demand for protein in shakes, powders and packaged foods has led to a ‘gravity-defying’ surge in whey prices, transforming the ingredient from a by-product of the cheese industry into a valuable commodity


Prices for whey protein isolate have risen by €28,000 per tonne since 2023, exceeding the prices of cheese and butter by more than four times, whilst producers struggle to keep pace with a rapidly expanding protein market. “There is a new category of consumers seeking protein fortification to ensure they maintain their muscle mass whilst taking [weight-loss drugs – GLP-1],” said Guus Aerts, director of the ingredients division at Dutch dairy giant FrieslandCampina…

 

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In just a few years, Lidl’s non-food segment in Europe has developed from a simple promotional area into a strategic pillar of the group


A trajectory that can be read well by following the steps in sequence 7 May 2026... Lidl reorganises the non-food department in all its approximately 3,250 shops in Germany. Action and Tedi have paved the way Lidl will not be caught off guard. The classic undifferentiated promotional area disappears. In its place: six permanent theme areas, each associated with its own brand, arranged along a continuous corridor between the refrigerated shelves and the checkout area. Coloured signage, signs visible from afar, seasonally flexible layout. "We combine the efficiency of a discount shop with the inspiration of a specialist retailer," said Steffen Graf, head of non-food at Lidl Germany(read more here ). It should be noted that Lidl is bucking the trend: the hypermarket sector in France is down 4.9 per cent since the beginning of the year. Compiled 3 June, updated 4 June 2026

DiscountLidlNon-foodPrivate Label
 

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US: new products, smaller packages and offers to attract inflation-weary customers


From Clorox to Kraft Heinz, US companies are finally realising that half of American consumers cannot afford what they are selling. To appeal to cash-strapped, inflation-weary shoppers, companies are launching smaller, cheaper products, launching value packages and, in some cases, reversing price increases. Coca-Cola is selling soft drinks in 'skinnier' and cheaper bottles. Target has new offerings in its toy department for $5. .. McDonald's has already reported the difficulties of its franchisees.... Walmart executives - after sounding the alarm about petrol - said last week they had lowered the price on 7,200 items and planned to use the company's tariff refund (on duties) to fund further price cuts. The retailer also indicated a promotion in which it offers hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and all other essentials for a meal that feeds eight people for less than $5 per person. The Wall Street Journal

Coca-ColaInflationMc Donald'sNon-foodWalmart
 

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Andrea Illy: the disappearance of 50 per cent coffee lands is an increasingly concrete prospect


"Experts already said ten years ago that 50 per cent of the world's coffee-growing land would be gone, due to climate change, and today this prospect is increasingly real. Andrea Illy, president of illycaffè, thus recalled a prediction made over a decade ago during an interview in Rome at the headquarters of the Foreign Press Association in Italy, conducted by Bernard Bedarida in front of an audience of correspondents from international newspapers. For Illy, the climate issue is no longer a distant scenario, but a factor that directly affects the future availability of coffee.

Climate changeCoffee