Belgian low-cost supermarket chain Colruyt has no smaller jars of the Nutella hazelnut spread left on shelves due to ongoing price negotiations between the companies.
While the 900g jars remain on shelves, the 400g jars are no longer in stores, HLN reports, citing VTM news.
While the specifics of the issue remains unclear, the lack of variety can be explained by a dispute over rising costs between Colruyt and Nutella producer Ferrero, reports De Tijd newspaper, which spoke to representatives from both sides of the argument.
"We understand that this is annoying for our customers and we apologise for the inconvenience," Patti Verdoodt of Colruyt told the paper. "Supermarkets are free to determine the range," Ferrero spokesman Jan De Grave explained.
Both parties, however, made it clear that they wanted a quick solution to the problem, aiming to get the jars back on shelves.
"We are convinced that this will be resolved quickly and that we will be able to offer the missing products again, at a correct price for the consumer," Verdoodt added. "We continue to have constructive talks and hope that our customers will soon be able to find their trusted product again," said De Grave.
Related News
This isn't the first time the supermarket – which promises low prices – has been involved in a long dispute over cost. In 2020 Douwe Egberts (DE) coffee and brands were missing from the shelves for weeks as Colruyt called for reduced prices.
In a written communication to the VRT, Colruyt made light of the problem. "Every year Colruyt carries out negotiations with various suppliers," the company said. "In the majority of cases, an agreement is reached quickly. But there are also moments when both parties take somewhat longer to reach a consensus, as has happened in this case."
