In 2011, purchases of fruit and vegetables fell by 3.8 per cent in France, according to statistics from FranceAgriMer, the national agriculture board.
This drop has been linked to a decrease in purchase frequency, with consumers making on average one less trip to the grocery store, Fld reported.
Also thought to be factors were last year's E.coli crisis and the dismal summer weather conditions.
Overall, fruit purchases fell by 2.5 per cent, despite positive figures for cherries, apricots, grapes and strawberries.
As for vegetables, volumes bought suffered a drop of 2.4 per cent, while the amount spent fell by 6.7 per cent.
Fruit and vegetable markets and grocery stores gained market share at the expense of the supermarkets, FranceAgriMer revealed, while direct and online sales continued to grow, by some 4.7 per cent.
Consumers are equally striving to eat better, which has led to an increase in the market share for organic products, up from 0.5 per cent to 5.9 per cent, and an increase in purchases of domestically grown produce.
Overall, French consumers purchased 81.3kg of vegetables per household for a total of €169.60, and 81.2kg of fruit, at a cost of €162.
