The German Coca-Cola bottler increases its prices and refers to the high energy costs. But Edeka does not play along. Supermarket customers will therefore soon have to do without certain soft drinks.
Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite could soon disappear from Edeka shelves. Because Germany's largest food chain does not want to accept the price increases of the US beverage brand, reports the "Handelsblatt", citing industry information. Coca-Cola informed Edeka that it would no longer supply the supermarkets for the time being.
The German Coca-Cola bottler, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, had increased gross list prices as of September 1, the company confirmed to the newspaper. The price adjustment takes into account the current market environment with significant cost increases for energy, preliminary products and services, explained sales manager Florian von Salzen. The average price increase for all products and packs is in the "higher single-digit percentage range and is thus well below the current food inflation and, for example, also below the price development of many retail brands".
Edeka informed the "Handelsblatt" that it would not comment on supplier relationships. It's not the first time the company has taken on suppliers. The supermarket chain is currently also arguing about prices with the US group Mondelez, the newspaper reports. Because a bar of Milka is offered significantly cheaper in some countries. The Edeka shelves with Milka chocolate are currently empty. Mondelez also declined to comment on talks with trading partners.
According to the report, Edeka stores had no juices from Granini and Hohes C on their shelves for more than a year because the company had a dispute with the fruit juice manufacturer Eckes-Granini. In the dispute with Pepsico, Edeka also threw the entire product range of the US group out of its range, including Pepsi - until an agreement was reached in the spring.
In the most recent case, however, Rewe boss Lionel Souque was also annoyed by Coca-Cola's demands. Most of the suppliers behave sensibly. "But we have a problem with the really big manufacturers who have the power to enforce demands." Many companies are free riders "who surf the price wave and profit from it to improve their results".
