French Shoppers Brawl Over Discounted Nutella

The BBC reports:

A discount on Nutella has led to violent scenes in a chain of French supermarkets, as shoppers jostled to grab a bargain on the sweet spread. Intermarché supermarkets offered a 70% discount on Nutella, bringing the price down from €4.50 (£3.90) to €1.40.

But police were called when people began fighting and pushing one another. “They are like animals. A woman had her hair pulled, an elderly lady took a box on her head, another had a bloody hand,” one customer told French media.

Similar scenes have been reported across France, with some being described as “riots”. The hunt for discounted jars continued on Friday, with shoppers in a supermarket near Toulouse being handed just one each.

The Associated Press reports:



Intermarche did not immediately answer a message from The Associated Press seeking comments. Ferrero, the company that produces Nutella, decried the incidents and distanced itself from the supermarket chain.

“We want to clarify that the decision for the special offer was taken unilaterally by Intermarche,” the company said in a statement. “We regret the consequences of this operation, which created confusion and disappointment in the consumers’ minds.”