Delhaize Bans 250 Unilever Items From Stores Pending Agreement
February 10 2009 - 4:33AM
Dow Jones News
The Belgian retailer Delhaize SA (DEG) Tuesday said it had
stopped stocking 250 products from Unilever Plc. (UN), pending an
agreement in the companies supply negotiations.
"Unilever has taken commercial positions which are not
acceptable," a Delhaize spkesman said. They have increased prices
much beyond those levied in 2008, and we cannot pass the cost on to
the customers, nor are willing to swallow the loss ourselves, he
added.
Delhaize has stopped providing the products from various
categories until it can reach an agreement with Unilever, the
company said.
Before the failed supply negotiations, Delhaize Belgium used to
stock some 400 items from Unilever, which makes Ben & Jerry's
ice cream and household products such as Dove, Lynx and Cif.
-By Peppi Kiviniemi, Dow Jones Newswires; +32 (0)2 741 1483;
peppi.kiviniemi@dowjones.com