Discount Retail Chain Lidl Germany (owned by the German Schwarz Group) usually has is Fruit and vegetables category directly at the entrance if its store. From now on certain F&V will soon be available, but not always at discounter.
Customers in Germany have to adapt to changes on the fruit and vegetable shelf at Lidl. The discounter has decided to no longer offer 'flying' fruit and vegetables in the future. This is part of the current climate effort, in which other retailers are also participating.
Lidl has more than 3,200 stores in Germany
According to a report in the German sector newspaper "Lebensmittelzeitung", Lidl will stop selling airborne F&V items in its more than 3,200 German stores.
The decision was preceded by a gradual reduction in aviation goods in recent years. In other European countries, Lidl has already made this change. A spokesman for Lidl emphasized to the "Lebensmittelzeitung" that the complete renunciation of airborne goods in Germany is seen as a "final step". The impact of this move does not mean that all fruit and vegetable inventory will disappear from the shelves. Instead, consumers must be prepared for the fact that certain products will only be available seasonally.
Green asparagus at Lidl now exclusively seasonal An example of this is green asparagus, which has so far been imported to Germany by plane out of season. These vegetables will now be available "exclusively seasonally from Germany and Europe". However, it is important to note that more durable products (such as bananas) will still be available, as they are usually transported by ship or truck. Only food with a short shelf life, which was previously imported by plane, will be affected. Lidl is not the only retailer to join this initiative. Other discounters and supermarket chains are also making adjustments. Aldi Nord, for example, emphasizes that they import exclusively by sea and land, while Aldi Süd and Rewe are trying to avoid air transport "wherever possible", according to the "Lebensmittelzeitung".
The decision to abandon aviation is in line with the efforts of many companies to reduce their environmental footprints, especially in the context of the climate crisis. Awareness of sustainable practices in retail is increasing. Customers can expect these trends to continue in the coming years.
