There is a long history of stores offering highly publicized discounts in order to draw in mobs of customers, which brings notoriety to the table. A French supermarket chain recently accomplished both, but probably not in the way they intended, after putting Nutella on sale, as this video from The Guardian reveals.
On Thursday, the French supermarket chain Intermarché slashed the price of a 35oz jar of Nutella, the hazelnut spread, by 70%. The bargain inspired scenes reminiscent of Black Friday shoppers that one store employee compared to a riot. Similar scenes, including ones where the police were needed to restore order, were reported around France. The Washington Post took notice of the ensuing chaos, which another employee described with a mix of horror and confusion: “People just rushed in, shoving everyone, breaking things. It was like an orgy. We were on the verge of calling the police.”
While Nutella is extremely popular in France, the company that makes the spread, Ferrero, is none too pleased with its product being associated with the madness. “We wish to clarify that this promotion was decided unilaterally by the Intermarché sign,” Ferrero tweeted. “We deplore the consequences of this operation which create confusion and disappointment in the minds of consumers.”
[Opération promotionnelle #Intermarché #Nutella] Nous souhaitons préciser que cette promotion a été décidée de manière unilatérale par l’enseigne Intermarché.
Nous déplorons les conséquences de cette opération qui créent confusion et déception dans l’esprit des consommateurs.— Ferrero en France (@FerreroFr) January 25, 2018
(Via The Guardian, Washington Post & Ferrero)