5th Pourdebon Barometer: Short supply chains under economic pressure

AT POURDEBON.COM, IT'S THE AGRICULTURE SHOW ALL YEAR ROUND!

While the Paris International Agricultural Show attracts almost 600,000 visitors every year, Pourdebon.com attracts 600,000 visitors a month who come to meet almost 800 producers - a figure that has nothing to envy the 1,000 exhibitors at the show. After 8 years in business, the platform is proving a real success, and in 2024 it passed the one million mark for orders placed on the website since it was created. Pourdebon.com is France's largest online marketplace, enabling consumers to support French producers throughout the year. Its business grew by 20% in volume last year, with 250,000 parcels from producers shipped all over France.

A slight fall in the use of short supply chains

Is the incidence of purchases from short supply chains affected by the economic climate?
The 2025 performance indicator reveals a slight drop in the use of short supply chains: 64% of French people said they regularly bought direct from producers in 2024, down 3 points on the previous year. The economic climate seems to be having an impact on purchasing behaviour, with price for the first time becoming the main barrier to buying from short supply chains (38%, up 5 points), ahead of accessibility and convenience.

Burgundy-Franche-Comté (78%), Pays-de-la-Loire (72%) and Brittany (70%) are the three regions that use the short supply chains, while Normandy is at the bottom of the ranking, with 49% of its respondents never or rarely buying from short supply chains.Members of higher socioeconomic groups are the ones who use short supply chains the most. With 70%, they are 6 points above the national average. The youngest consumers are the least likely to use short supply chains, with barely 1 in 2 18-24 year olds (51%) claiming to buy this type of product at least once a month (7 points below the national average).

The most popular product categories and preferred purchasing methods remain stable

The list of products most frequently purchased via short supply chains remains unchanged, with fruit and vegetables in first place (-2pts vs 2024), followed by cheese and meat (same as 2024).

• 4th place: charcuterie 30% (-2pts)

• 5th place: fish 27% (+3pts)

• 6th place: sweet groceries 23% (+2pts)

• 7th place: drinks 20% (+1pt)

• 8th place: savoury groceries 18% (+2pts)

• 9th place: other products 5% (-1pt)

Purchasing via short supply chains

In terms of purchasing methods, 82% (+2pts) of consumers continue to buy from brick-and-mortar shops or farmers' markets. 13% of consumers using short supply chains opt for home delivery (same as in 2024).

• Direct purchase at a brick-and-mortar point of sale (82%)
• Order via a website or app and pick up at a drive-through or point of sale (15%)
• Order via a website or app and opt for home delivery (13%)
• Order via a website or app and pick up at a pick-up point (10%)

The 18-34 age group and people living in the Paris region make the most use of home delivery: they are respectively +17pts and +5pts above the national average!

Direct purchase from a brick-and-mortar point of sale remains the most popular way to shop, particularly for consumers in New Aquitaine (89%) and Hauts-de-France (87%). The oldest age groups are also the most fond of this traditional purchasing method, favoured by 93% of 65-74 year-olds and 91% of 55-64 year-olds.

Reasons for and reasons against buying from short supply chains

While the taste and quality of the products (72%), the preference for Made in France (57%) and the close relationship with the producer (51%) remain the main reasons for buying, the importance attached to fair remuneration for producers is dropping slightly (42%, -4 pts).

At the same time, the lack of choice in short supply chains is perceived as a growing obstacle (+6 pts), as is the fact of cooking little (+5 pts), a sign that the time dedicated to preparing meals and the budget are increasingly influencing food choices.

TOP 6 reasons for purchasing from short supply chains

• Product taste and quality 72% (-4pts)
• Preference for food produced in France 54% (-3 pts)
• Close relationship with the producer 51% (-1pt)
• Assurance of fair payment for producers 42% (- 4 pts)
• The impact on heath 38% (-1 pt)
• Reduced environmental footprint 29% (-2 pts)

The main reasons for not purchasing from short supply chains

• Finding it too expensive 38% (+5pts)
• Not having nearby market or collection point 32% (-3pts)
• Not knowing where to find these products 20% (-3pts)
• Finding it too restrictive 16% (+2pts)
• Not having enough choice in products 15% (+6pts)
• Not cooking or cooking very little 13% (+5pts)
• Not knowing what short supply chain products are 8% (+1pt)
• Not seeing the point 6% (-2pts)

Men attach importance to the proximity of the producer at 56% (vs 48% for women), a criterion that does not seem to be a determining factor for consumers in Ile-de-France, who are only 38% to take it into account (i.e. 13pts below the national average). 59% of women (vs 48% for men) claim to use short supply chains because they prefer food produced in France.

In terms of purchasing obstacles, women are the most price-sensitive (+7pts vs men), as are 55-64 year-olds (46%, or +8pts vs. the national average), while only 23% of people aged 75 and over find short-supply-chain products too expensive. Price sensitivity is also high in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes for 49% of respondents (+8pts above the national average) and in Grand-Est (44%). Brittany, Pays-de-la-Loire and Ile-de-France were the regions where most respondents claim they do not know where to find this type of product.

The short supply chains in restaurants

French people’s expectations when dining out: seasonality and transparency of origin are top priorities

Building on its success with consumers, Pourdebon.com extended its commitment to the B2B market in 2024, enabling restaurateurs and food professionals to source directly from producers. For the latest performance indicator, the platform looked at the expectations of French people when they go out to eat.

Among those who visited a restaurant in 2024**, more than one in two (52%) put the use of seasonal produce in their top 3 choice criteria (ranked No. 1 for 25% of respondents).

The popularity of local products and transparency is high:

• 77% of French people believe that restaurateurs who don't source locally are contributing to the decline of French agriculture.

• 39% of customers prefer restaurants that source their products within a 200 km radius

• 37% want greater transparency on the origin of ingredients 90% appreciate seeing the name of the producer on a restaurant menu, proof that proximity and traceability are now at the heart of expectations, even outside the home.

Pourdebon.com: the online short short supply chain accessible all year round for individuals and businesses alike

With nearly 800 partner producers, Pourdebon.com offers consumers and businesses alike a comprehensive catalogue of tasty Made in France products delivered within 24 hours, with the option of filtering your search to artisans located in your region.

Producers paid the right price

When you buy from Pourdebon, it's the producer who sets the price that seems right to them. The breakdown of your purchase is as follows:

• Producer
• Shipping
• Technical costs
• Marketing costs
• Pourdebon team

* Source: Pourdebon 2025 short supply chain performance indicator, conducted by Kantar from 21 to 24 January 2025 on a representative sample of the French population of 1,000 people.

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About Pourdebon.com

Pourdebon.com is a fresh produce and delicatessen marketplace that delivers quality products direct to your door from the best French producers. Co-founded by Nicolas Machard and Cyril Schwartz in 2016, Pourdebon.com is now part of Geopost (Le Groupe La Poste) which enables it to deliver dry, fresh and frozen products, anywhere in France, to almost 30,000 products from 800 farmers and artisans. Pourdebon.com is keen to promote its producers, and in response to the growing interest among the French in direct, short-distance sales, it has met with real success after 8 years in business. In 2024, it passed the million mark in orders placed on the website since it was created.
www.pourdebon.com