Everest stops buying JDE Peet’s products after another price hike

Purchasing organisation Everest no longer wants to purchase JDE Peet’s products such as coffee brand Douwe Egberts after another significant price increase, shattering the brittle peace between the two that not even lasted four months.

25 % more expensive

On 10 March, both parties reached an agreement to end a previous delisting: the chains behind Everest (German Edeka, French Intermarché, and Jumbo and Picnic from the Netherlands) had halted their purchases due to previous price increases, but had to concede in March that some recommended prices would be increased by up to 30 %.

On 1 July, the coffee company implemented another double-digit price increase, Dutch newspaper FD reports. Some products would even become up to 25 % more expensive. In response, Everest decided to stop purchasing the products as JDE Peet’s would not allow purchases at the previous conditions.

Stocks are dwindling

There is still a stock, the involved chains tell FD, but as the new conflict lasts longer, those will be depleted fast. In the worst case, customers will once again be confronted with empty store shelves.

In a response, JDE Peet’s states that the prices for coffee beans have more than doubled in a year and a half. The group also denies that the new plan of its new CEO Rafael Oliveira, to increase profitability, played a role in the decision. However, the supermarkets see it differently.