“For us, it’s advantageous”, these Belgians who shop in France where the prices are lower

Contrary to what we might imagine, inflation in France, estimated at 6.1%, is rather under control compared to the figures observed elsewhere in Europe. In Belgium, for example, the general rise in prices is almost 10%! Enough to convince more and more Belgians to cross the border to come and shop … in France, as noted by Europe 1.

In the parking lot of this hypermarket in northern France, many license plates are Belgian. Nadine struggles to push her filled shopping cart: “a little meat, a little fish, water, yogurts, cheese”, she lists before continuing: “In Belgium, it’s much more expensive and I come every 15 days here to do my shopping. I earn 50 euros per shopping cart, it’s huge”, she rejoices.

“It’s money that goes”

Despite inflation, prices remain attractive. Many Belgians also see it as an opportunity to refuel at a more reasonable price. This is the case of Nathalie who has recently come to fill her tank in France: “It’s more advantageous than in Belgium. If they drop in France, as they say, to 1.50 euros, we will automatically return to France . For us, the cross-border workers, it is more advantageous”, she remarks, not without underlining that, for once, it is not the French who cross the border to reduce the bill.

Nevertheless, these rebates cost the public authorities several billion euros, points out Paul, a French motorist: “This will benefit Belgian cross-border workers, it’s money that goes away. But how do you target only the French population? This is not obvious, even impossible”.

When you cross the border, petrol stations, usually very popular with the French, empty out. The reduction of 15 cents per liter on fuel, implemented in France, is very hurting Belgian managers who claim not to be able to compete with this state aid.