Sales of Kinder products have plummeted in stores since the salmonella scandal at the Ferrero factory. Kinder sales are down 25-30%, yet the products on the shelves are safe and controlled. But consumers have lost confidence.
On the shelves of this supermarket, the customers we meet are unanimous. “As long as we are not sure of what happened, no I will not take any more”says a customer. “Me, I admit that I have children but I also try to avoid because I’m a little afraid of falling on the wrong product”continues another. “You still have to be careful because for me, people’s health is still important”indicates a third.
At a grocery store, sales of Kinder products plummeted. A fall of -25% since the recent scandal of the Ferrero brand. “It feels like Kinder no longer exists because they no longer trust the brand”notes Virginie, a saleswoman in a department store.
The discovery of salmonella in several products leaves traces in the minds, and not only here. We contacted several other supermarkets which confirm the trend, even the brand’s other chocolates – although not dangerous – are now neglected. “They only buy Kinder Bueno, very rarely. There are even people who bring us this article when it is not concerned because it is not in the same factory. They bring us back anyway because they no longer want to deal with these products”continues Virginia.
Should the Ferrero brand be worried regarding its future? “Non”answers a food expert because the Belgian tends to quickly forget. “If we take the recent example of the mad cow scandal. We found that there was a fairly immediate impact on meat consumption but that things came back to normal in the years that followed. We quickly forget the scandal that happened”explains Pierre Leclercq, food historian.
Contacted, Ferrero tells us that it is still too early to know the precise financial losses of the company. Two weeks following the start of the scandal, the repatriation of products is still in progress.
