French take their revenge with £50 Coca-Cola ...
Did you notice this moves in Bruxelles also? In Germany it would be impossible to <<patriotically>> or <<by solidarity>> raise prices for products of basic need. Or maybe any prices ...
Regards MNI.
French take their revenge with £50 Coca-Cola ...
By Julian Nundy in Paris
www.telegraph.co.uk, 9 Aug 1999
FRENCH café owners in regions affected by American trade
sanctions are hitting back by imposing huge price rises
on Coca-Cola or banning it from their establishments.
In Dijon, where the local mustard is affected by the
sanctions, Coke is priced at £50 a bottle in one
crêperie. Similar action is being taken in Rodez, near
Toulouse, the heart of the region famed for Roquefort
cheese - another product hit by the sanctions. Le Bowling
du Rouerque café has priced Coca-Cola at £10, with red
and white stickers announcing the price rise pasted on
the windows. Anne-Marie Sandrine, the owner, said
yesterday: "This is to help our colleagues on the farm."
At nearby Le Souquet's brasserie, Daniel Souquet has
replaced Coke with Pepsi. He says that this is acceptable
because it is made in France under licence by Orangina, a
subsidiary of Pernod-Ricard. He expected other cafés to
follow suit.
Mr Souquet said: "I got the idea during a discussion with
customers who work at the local chamber of agriculture."
Last month Washington imposed 100 per cent duty on some
European foodstuffs as a reprisal for the EU's refusal to
allow the sale in Europe of American beef raised with
hormones. France, Denmark, Germany and Italy are worst
hit.
Luc Guyou, leader of the main French farmers' union, said
when the sanctions were imposed that his union planned
action within weeks. Considering which products to
boycott, he said: "There's Coca-Cola, there's bourbon and
there's McDonald's."
Figures issued at the weekend show that Coca-Cola has
regained its market share in France after falling by 30
per cent in June when bottled Coke imported from Belgium
and canned Coke made at a Dunkirk plant were withdrawn
because of fears that they had been contaminated. Richard
Branson's Virgin Cola lost about 28 per cent of sales
despite a radio advertising campaign designed to cash in
on Coca-Cola's misfortunes. |
