Odd Spat at Makro

Makro is a giant Cash and Carry wholesaler, selling just about everything you can think of to those who run their own businesses, including pubs and off licences. They carry a large range of drinks and have also recently been running a Love the Pub Campaign to help pubs offset the current crisis, by looking closely at the prices they pay for key products in order to make crucial savings. They say "That’s why we’ve launched the Love The Pub campaign with support from our industry partners, because in the current climate every penny really does count, and that’s where we can all help by committing to offer the most competitive prices to help pubs cut costs."

So you could, like me, just see this as a grab for market share, an invitation to break the tie and an open swipe at the supermarkets, but here comes the bizarre bit. According to E-Malt.com, Makro has removed all 275 ml bottles of Carlsberg Export from its shelves to punish Carlsberg for the fact that supermarkets were selling it at 30p a bottle, while pubs would be expected to sell it for around £2.40 a bottle. A miffed Carlsberg retorted that they were being "singled out" and that they don't set prices, customers do. You can just about see their point a little, as they are hardly alone in this respect, though they are, quite possibly, along with Stella, the worst offender.

Frankly I can't make head or tail of these odd shenanigans, but I thought it worth sharing.