Pepsi. 7 on. Doritos. Cheetos. Ray's. Lipton iced tea.
These are some of the PepsiCo products that will be returned to shelves at one of the world's largest grocery chains after reaching an agreement with France's Carrefour stores.
The food dispute has been going on for about three months since France-based grocer Carrefour, which has 12,000 stores around the world, announced it would remove PepsiCo products due to price increases. Stores in countries including France, Italy, Belgium and Spain have been reported to have been affected during the conflict, as European countries continue to battle soaring food prices.
Alexandre de Palma, executive director of Carrefour's French branch, said: “It's nice to see a friend I haven't seen for a long time.'' Posted X's Wednesday included a photo of himself holding a bottle of Pepsi.
“PepsiCo products are back on our shelves,” Carrefour said in a statement, according to French media. “We reached an agreement exactly as we had hoped and for the benefit of our customers.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that while a deal has been reached in France, negotiations over PepsiCo products continue in four other countries. Carrefour did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post early Thursday.
PepsiCo France said in a statement: “We are pleased to have reached this agreement and are delighted that our products will be back on Carrefour shelves for people to enjoy again.”
The dispute between the two companies became public in early January, when Carrefour began posting signs in its stores explaining that it would “no longer sell” PepsiCo products “due to unacceptable price increases” and saying, “We apologize for any inconvenience caused. ” he added.
A PepsiCo spokesperson told the Post at the time that the company “has been in discussions with Carrefour for many months and continues to work in good faith to ensure the availability of our products.” Ta.
Carrefour's move comes as French food prices rose 7% in December from a year earlier. According to the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Research, the year-on-year increase rate in March was 1.7%, significantly down from the peak of 15.9% in March 2023.
Randall Sargent, a partner in retail and consumer goods at marketing consulting firm Oliver Wyman, told the Post in January that tactics such as pulling a brand's entire product line are not uncommon in Europe. “Consumers are still very loyal to certain national brands, but when they are taken off the shelf, they are less confused because they are already used to comparable private brands in many categories. Because they are willing to make the transition,” she says. she said.
Carrefour expects private brands to grow, according to its strategic plan published in 2022. The company aims to increase the share of private brands in food sales to 40% in 2026, up from 33% in 2022. PepsiCo's business in Europe accounts for about 14% of the company's global revenue, according to a Wall Street Journal report, which accounts for about $9 billion.
Jaclyn Peiser contributed to this report.
