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French supermarket chain Intermarché has decided to halt its major discounts, up to 70 % after several fights broke out across its store network.
“Not responsible”
Late last month, Intermarché promised to cut several name brands’ prices up to 70, including products like Nutella and Pampers. These caused such a turmoil in stores, that some people actually started fighting. Intermarché faced a lot of criticism and has now decided to halt its enormous discounts.
“We have to halt our discounts up to 70 %”, CEO Thierry Cotillard told French JDD. “We had not foreseen such a reaction, but we cannot be held accountable for the behaviour of others”, he added. He also points out that Ferrero approved the discount, even though it previously stated the supermarket chain made the call unilaterally.
New legislation
Cotillard expects it will soon be impossible to launch such discounts. The French government is preparing a law to curb price wars. Supermarkets will soon have to keep a specific margin in mind, guaranteeing a decent income for suppliers and mainly farmers. The French Minister of Agriculture had previously expressed his dismay at Intermarché’s discounts.
