Lidl Luxembourg has announced that it is aiming to market more than 2.3 million Fairtrade labelled products in 2020 - an increase of 155% compared to 2018.
Five months after celebrating World Fair Trade Day 2020 (9 May), Lidl Luxembourg has reported a constant increase in the sale of Fairtrade products, thus deciding to strengthen its commitment to fair trade.
Speaking on changing customer habits, Julien Wathieu, spokesperson for Lidl Belgium and Luxembourg, commented: "We are happy to be able to include more fair trade products on our shelves and to see that our customers are fond of these products which allow producers to guarantee fair compensation and the respect they deserve for their work, as well as a secure future for them and their families".
Since 2018, Lidl has indeed observed a constant increase in sales of fair trade products: the brand has already sold more than 800,000 Fairtrade products this year (from January to mid-September) and, according to estimates by the brand, Fairtrade ite, sales are expected to reach more than 2.3 million for the whole of 2020. This represents an increase of 60% compared to 2019 and 155% compared to 2018.
Bananas ranked first among the best-selling Fairtrade products on Lidl shelves: more than 160,000 Fairtrade and organic Fairtrade bananas have already been marketed this year. The next best-selling items were milk and hazelnut chocolates from the Fin Carré range, with more than 70,000 items sold during the first three quarters of the year. Other fair trade and sustainable products are also on the rise, such as seafood, waffles, ice cream and slippers.
“One in three bananas consumed in Luxembourg today comes from fair trade. Our goal for 2021 is to continue this meteoric rise and achieve a 50% market share”, emphasised Geneviève Krol, Director of Fairtrade Lëtzebuerg. "The COVID-19 pandemic exposes the weaknesses of the global agro-food system and we are delighted to be able to strengthen our collaboration with Lidl Luxembourg with the aim of making the participation of producers in international trade more equitable, allowing them to improve their long-term living conditions and get a voice in the business process”.
With the Fairtrade label, Lidl offers two types of fair trade products: Fairtrade products which consist of a single ingredient (such as bananas and coffee) and products comprising multiple ingredients which are also fair trade and Fairtrade labelled.
