The supermarket giant Carrefour has removed all products from PepsiCo in four European countries: France, Italy, Spain, and Belgium. This action, effective from Thursday, encompasses over 9,000 stores and was taken in protest against price increases from the American company.
Customers at Carrefour stores were informed of the removal through signs explaining the reason for the absence of products, stating:
"We no longer sell this brand due to unacceptable price increases. We apologize for the inconvenience". This decision affects a wide range of PepsiCo brands, including soft drinks like Pepsi, 7Up, Mirinda, Mountain Dew, and Gatorade; chips from Lays, Doritos, and Cheetos; breakfast products from Quaker; and tea and iced tea from Lipton.
While some Carrefour stores still had PepsiCo products on shelves as of Thursday, the reaction among customers was mixed.
One customer, Edith Carpentier, expressed to Reuters that it was unsurprising, citing that the products had become too expensive and were non-essential, adding that many other products would remain available on the shelves.
In response to Carrefour's decision, PepsiCo stated,
"We have been in talks with Carrefour for several months, and we will continue in good faith to ensure that our products will be available".
Carrefour has a history of championing consumer interests. Previously, the supermarket chain had initiated campaigns highlighting products that had reduced in size but were still being sold at the same price.
