UK and German supermarkets boycott Russian vodka after Ukraine invasion | The world

“We have decided to withdraw Russian-made vodka from sales in retaliation for the continued occupation of Ukraine by Russian forces and as a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainian people,” the Supermarket Chain Cooperative said in a statement on Friday. .

The Russian standard brand will be “explicitly sold in Russian and manufactured there” with “immediate effect”, while “Polish alternative will be sold in our stores instead,” the supermarket said. Request for donations in their stores on Thursday (3) to send aid to displaced Ukrainians.

Morrisons supermarkets have decided to stop buying Russian-made vodka brands and stop selling them online, but will continue to sell them on the shelves, the company said.

The Marx & Spencer chain said on Thursday that it had stopped exporting products to Russia through its Turkish ownership, saying it would “do everything possible to support the Ukrainian people and respond to the growing refugee crisis.”

The actions of British supermarkets follow recent announcements of Russian vodka withdrawals in Finland and Sweden, as well as some German supermarkets that have decided to ban products imported from Russia.

As of this Friday, the Aldi Nord chain in Germany has sold only one product from Russia: vodka in 0.70 liter bottles. “We have decided to stop selling this product,” a spokesman for the retailer said Wednesday. Sister company Ulti Sud has also banned Russian liquor from its shelves. The food retailer wants to “send a message about the current situation”, according to its spokesman.

The Cologne-based group has said that supermarket chain Raw’s central purchasing arm and its low – cost subsidiary, Penny, will no longer order food produced in Russia. The joint statement from the companies added that the existing shares could still be sold or made available to food banks.

Edeka, Germany’s leading food company, said it “supports all sanctions initiated by the European Union and the German government.” However, due to their cooperative structure, individual stores can still supply Russian products locally. But the chain’s independent retailers were asked to “review their personal product lines and refrain from purchasing goods from Russia.”