Big brands like Leclerc and Intermarche aren't even in the top five.
France's biggest supermarkets are replaced by specialists in new rankings Victor Velter/Shutterstock
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Nearly two-thirds of French people prefer to do their grocery shopping in supermarkets, according to a new survey, but their favourite brands may be a surprise.
The survey shows that larger companies are not taken into account, with Leclerc, Carrefour, Auchan and Intermarche not even making it into the top five at all.
Instead, brands such as Picard, Biocorp and Grand Frais have topped the rankings as the public's favourite grocers, according to a new survey conducted by global communications group Havas and PMP Strategies at the recent Paris Retail Week event.
The study compiled Google reviews left for each supermarket by French customers in the second quarter of 2023. The rankings include a wide range of supermarket types, from organic stores to discounters, but the big brands are far from the top of the podium.
Read more: Many casino supermarkets are cheaper than Intermarches: where and why
In France, supermarkets are defined as those with a floor area between 400 and 2,500 square meters, and hypermarkets as those with a floor area of ​​more than 2,500 square meters.
Specialization wins
Frozen food specialist Picard tops the ranking, followed by organic grocer Biocoop and fresh produce specialist Grand Frais, which describes itself as a “combination of supermarket and hypermarket”. Discount group Lidl comes in fourth.
The first major hypermarket brand, Hyper U, remained in fifth place.
“In both cases the conclusion is the same: specialisation means greater satisfaction,” said Olivier Daubers, an industry journalist who helped compile the study.
“Lidl is similar, promising to provide a more focused service. [less wide-ranging] “The fact that we have a stronger brand than traditional supermarkets means we are more specialised and therefore more highly regarded.”
Picard was founded in 1906 as a company that provided ice bars to keep food cold, and in 1920 it was purchased by Mr. Picard, who began selling frozen foods to other retailers.
The brand began selling frozen meals by mail order in the 1970s, which marked the beginning of its rapid growth: by 1980 the number of stores had expanded to 20, and today the brand has over 1,050 stores across France.
Read the full top 10 rankings
According to the survey, most of the major supermarkets did not make it into the top 5. The top 10 are as follows:
Picard (4.5 out of 5)Biocoop (4.36/5)Grand Frais (4.34/5)Lidl (4.20/5)Hyper U (4.12/5)E. Leclerc (4.09/5)Net (4.05/5)Super U (4.02/5)Aldi (3.95/5)Intermarche (3.93/5)
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