Supermarkets are said to be “at war with Pepsi” after one stopped selling its products in response to skyrocketing prices.
French supermarket chain, Carrefour, will no longer stock Doritos, Pepsi and other products made by major food manufacturer PepsiCo in stores across Europe calling the company’s prices “unacceptable”.
Countries including France, Spain, Italy and Belgium will be affected by the veto, but according to EuropaPress, Carrefour has not confirmed whether it will start withdrawing Pepsi products or replace them once stocks run out.
It is thought the move will impact 5,000 stores, which represents more than two thirds of the company’s 14,000 supermarkets worldwide.
PepsiCo warned of “modest” price increases last October on products including soft drinks such as Pepsi, Lipton and 7up, as well as Alvalle gazpachos and packaged snacks from Lays (known in the UK as Walkers), including Cheetos, Doritos and even Quaker cereals.
Carrefour’s Spanish stores have already been putting up signs which read: “We no longer sell this brand due to unacceptable price increases.”
Families have had to spend more and more on PepsiCo products by the year with the company steadily increasing its prices for several years.
The boycott is not the first time Carrefour has taken action on rising prices launching a 30 products for 30 euros initiative during the Covid pandemic to ensure shoppers could still afford essential items.
The initiative lasted until the start of last year and included items such as canned food, pasta and coffee.
Spanish economics expert Javier Ruiz told the SER radio station the war was actually good news for consumers.
He said: “Finally some news that could end up being good news for the consumer.
“If you go now to Carrefour you will see that there are fewer crisps and if you go next week you will see that there is no more Pepsi because this is what is happening. They are going to sell the stock they already have but that’s it.
“Either Carrefour wins or PepsiCo wins, but neither seems willing to assume that they are the bad guys in the rise in food prices.
“In the long term, this is good news, regardless of the commercial margins of each of them, but it is a war in which, whoever wins, the user benefits.”
