The aisles of a supermarket in Lebanon. (Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP)
Pasta, soups, chocolates, alcoholic beverages — Lebanese pantries and fridges are now filled with locally made products. While “Made in Lebanon” goods once made up just 15 to 20 percent of supermarket shelves before the country’s economic collapse, they now account for nearly 60 percent, after peaking at around 70 percent in 2022 and 2023, according to Ziad Bekdash, CEO of Oriental Paper Products and vice president of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI).Spurred by the financial crisis and the collapse in purchasing power, Lebanese brands have expanded and now represent a significant share of local consumption. As prices soared with the depreciation of the Lebanese lira, “people could no longer afford imported goods, which had become too expensive,” said Salim Zeeni, president of the ALI. “This pushed manufacturers to launch...
Pasta, soups, chocolates, alcoholic beverages — Lebanese pantries and fridges are now filled with locally made products. While “Made in Lebanon” goods once made up just 15 to 20 percent of supermarket shelves before the country’s economic collapse, they now account for nearly 60 percent, after peaking at around 70 percent in 2022 and 2023, according to Ziad Bekdash, CEO of Oriental Paper Products and vice president of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI).Spurred by the financial crisis and the collapse in purchasing power, Lebanese brands have expanded and now represent a significant share of local consumption. As prices soared with the depreciation of the Lebanese lira, “people could no longer afford imported goods, which had become too expensive,” said Salim Zeeni, president of the ALI. “This pushed...
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