Top brands no longer on shelves: Lidl only wants to buy products “at a reasonable price”.

Top brands no longer on shelves
Lidl only wants to buy products “at a reasonable price”.

05/20/2023, 4:35 p.m

Inflation does not stop at discounters either. Again and again there are arguments between retailers and manufacturers about prices, and in the end products even disappear from the shelves. Lidl boss Härtnagel only wants to make limited compromises when shopping.

Lidl Germany boss Christian Härtnagel is optimistic that the discounter will soon have Haribo products in their range again. “Customers don’t want to do without their favorite products, and for some this includes sweets from Haribo,” Härtnagel told the “Bild” newspaper. Lidl only wants to sell products “at a reasonable price”. “This has been successful for many brands. We are still in negotiations with Haribo and have not been able to reach an agreement so far. But I am confident that we can do it.”

Again and again there are such disputes between dealers and manufacturers. It was recently announced that Edeka was no longer supplied by more than a dozen companies. Many discounters therefore rely on their own brands, including Lidl. According to Härtnagel, 75 percent of the range are own brands. “Strengthening and developing our own brands is part of our DNA.” You have direct access to the quality of the products via the suppliers. The discounter wants to continue to offer large branded products.

Inflation does not stop at discounters either. Even Härtnagel cannot give a forecast as to when prices will fall again. “We see a slight downward movement in the inflation rate in April. That gives hope,” he told the newspaper. However, there are currently often negotiations with food manufacturers “where demands for price increases are on the table”. However, Lidl does not pass on every price increase to customers one-to-one.

“Our buyers know the raw materials markets very well, so they can assess where price increases are justified – and for which products they are not,” says Härtnagel. “As soon as there is new scope, we will lower the prices. Lidl was the first grocer to lower prices for cooking oil, cheese and pasta.”