Solidarity with Ukraine
Aldi bans vodka: These supermarkets are boycotting Russian products
Aldi South branch
© Photo booth / K. Schmitt/ / Picture Alliance
In protest against Putin’s war in Ukraine, supermarkets and discounters are removing Russian goods from their ranges. However, the number of affected products is small.
More and more food retailers in Germany are banning Russian products from their shelves. The retail giant Rewe announced on Tuesday that it would “delist foodstuffs produced in Russia at a central level” for Rewe and Penny in Germany. These items would no longer be ordered. However, stocks still in the warehouses and markets would not be destroyed, but would still be for sale or would be made available to the Tafel organizations or similar initiatives over time.
Germany’s largest grocer Edeka is in the process of reviewing its range of goods. “We support all sanctions that have been and will be initiated by the EU and the federal government. That is why we are already determining whether and to what extent we have products from Russia or from companies owned by Russian oligarchs in our range lead,” said the retail giant.
The Edeka headquarters, which is responsible for national purchasing, has not had any active business relationships with manufacturers based in Russia for a long time. However, it cannot currently be ruled out that independent Edeka retailers will offer individual items at a regional or local level. The merchants design the assortment of their markets independently.
Aldi Süd lists vodka
The discounter Aldi Süd reported that it had only offered one item from Russia so far: vodka in a 0.7 liter bottle. “We have decided to discontinue the item indefinitely.” The company wants to set an example in the current situation. The sister company Aldi Nord also banned schnapps from Russia from the shelves. “Our thoughts are with all the people who suffer from war and violence,” emphasized Aldi Nord.
The discount chain Netto, which is mainly represented in northern and eastern Germany, had previously announced a boycott of Russian goods. The Stavenhagen-based subsidiary of the Danish Salling Group (Brabrand) thus followed the parent company. In protest against the war in Ukraine, all products made in Russia would be taken off the shelves. This affects about 15 items, including confectionery, ready meals and spirits such as vodka, it said.
According to the company, Netto with the brand colors black and yellow and a dog as a symbol operates around 340 stores in eight German federal states. It must not be confused with the larger Netto Marken-Discount based in Bavaria.