Inflation is continuing to influence how and where French households are making purchases, with consumption remaining constrained despite a slowdown in price increases, Worldpanel by Numerator has said in a new report.
Some 45% of French households state that they want to ‘treat themselves’ when making everyday purchases, a one-percentage-point increase on the previous year. However, at the same time, just 28% say that they are in a position to increase their spend, a three-percentage-point drop.
Over the past four years – since the price surge that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – food prices have increased in France, rising by between 20% and 25% on average, and while 2025 saw a lull in price gains, overall prices remain far higher than they were in 2022.
As Worldpanel by Numerator notes, this has led to marginal volume growth in the French FMCG market, with the overall market rising by just 0.7%.
Frugal shopping habits
In addition, households are maintaining the shopping routines adopted during previous periods of frugality – sticking to shopping lists, freezing leftovers to avoid food waste, and seeking out products with short expiration dates.
While French consumers are visiting stores more often, with 116 visits, on average in 2025, compared to 113 in 2024, shopping baskets are smaller (€30.60 in 2025 compared to €31 in 2024), reflecting an overall decrease in spend per transaction.
Category impact
Some categories, such as meat, have been notably impacted, with the category seeing volumes decline by 1.8%, as shoppers turn to cheaper protein sources such as eggs (+4.3% in volume and +7.7% in value), Worldpanel by Numerator noted.
Elsewhere, breakfast and snacking occasions are on the decrease, with food consumption more frequently focused on the main meals of the day. Promotions now account for a larger share of spending, particularly during busy periods of the year.
“Between economic caution, political uncertainty and a search for meaning, French consumers are showing measured resilience: they are buying more often, better quality, and with increased attention to the quality and impact of their choices,” commented Gaëlle le Floch, Worldpanel by Numerator. Read more here.
