Customers at Ikea stores will soon no longer be able to buy Mondelez products: the home furnishing chain is removing things like Daim candy from its range. The multinational is under pressure for continuing operations in Russia, but that does not appear to be the reason…
War or private label?
Ikea Sweden is gradually withdrawing all Mondelez products from its shops, spokesman Mattias Hennius confirmed to Swedish newspaper Göteborgs-Posten. Existing stocks will still be sold, but no new products will be sourced. Daim chocolate bars are nonetheless a bestseller at Ikea, while the chain also offers Mondelez’s Marabou chocolate, among others.
Especially in Sweden, more and more companies, organisations and even government bodies have been barring Mondelez products since it became known that the manufacturer continues to operate in Russia. However, Ikea’s decision is said to be “mainly” to do with its long-term ambition to carry as many own-brand products in its range as possible.
“For several years, we have focused on Ikea-labelled confectionery products and have further developed our own chocolate and sweets products”, Hennius said. In other countries too, all sweets from other suppliers (not only Mondelez) will be gradually disappearing from shelvesout, Dutch Ikea spokesperson Jurriaan Zuiderhoek confirms.
(This article has been updated on 20 June, adding a reaction from an Ikea Netherlands spokesperson.)