Labeyrie co-CEO also believes home success won’t dip over Christmas.
In a press release, according to numbers obtained by fish processing trade organisation Entreprises du Traiteur Frais (ETF), smoked salmon proved a hit in lockdown.
As reported in Le Figaro, it said that to date that 33,000 tonnes of salmon, prepared and smoked 30 businesses in France, had EUR 700 million in sales.
Sales increased by 10 per-cent since the beginning of the year in supermarkets and convenience stores all over France. During the period of France’s first lockdown from the 16th March to the 10th of May, the increase was 15 per-cent.
ETF vice president and Labeyrie co-CEO Jacques Trottier said that he was confident that demand would end strong going into the festive season.
“Just because people have consumed a lot this year doesn’t mean it will be a drag for the end of the year,” said Trottier.
“The good thing is that as a food product we already have the assurance that we will be able to buy smoked salmon until December 31st. And even if people wait for the lockdown on December 1 or 15 to do their shopping, we will be ready to meet this concentrated demand over a short period of time”.
Commenting on why he thought there was a lockdown increase in packets of smoked salmon, Trottier said: “Practicality was appreciated in a period of lockdown where a family of four must plan 84 meals per week”.
French authorities recently announced that the country’s lockdown, introduced on October 30th, will continue until at least December 1st.
