French hypermarkets have released a super low-priced factory-style baguette priced at 470 won, prompting a strong backlash from the traditional baking industry.
According to the daily Le Figaro on the 1st (local time), retail giants such as Lidl and Aldi have lowered the price of baguettes to 0.29 euros (about 470 won) for marketing purposes in preparation for the new school term. This is about a quarter of the average price of local bakeries, which is 1.09 euros (about 1,700 won).
Dominique Anrac, president of the French Baking and Pastry Association, noted, "Factory-style baguettes are just cheap bait products and will lead to a general downgrade in the baking industry." He pointed out that while handmade baguettes incorporate artisan craftsmanship in the kneading, fermentation, and baking processes, the hypermarket products are machine-made, with automated processes producing more than 10,000 units per hour.
Hypermarkets can sell at low prices by significantly reducing labor and fixed costs, but local bakeries find it difficult to compete because labor costs account for more than 40% of their production costs. Furthermore, since the French baguette was designated as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2022, there are significant concerns about the devaluation of its worth due to low-priced factory bread.
This is not the first time a price controversy over baguettes has arisen in France. In 2022, there was backlash when major French retailer Leclerc announced that it would fix the price of baguettes at 0.29 euros, despite rising prices.
In Korea, the release of cheap bread by YouTuber Shuka World has also sparked a strong backlash from the self-employed sector. The baking industry emphasizes that ensuring a fair price is essential to maintaining tradition and quality, and they are appealing that the pricing pressure from hypermarkets is a threat to their livelihood.