Consumers associations called on consumers to boycott French goods while some chain stores are putting labels on French goods to inform consumers of their French origin.
Kiler, a leading retailer, has decided not to sell French goods. Afra Shopping Center, a supermarket chain operating in Konya, is putting labels on approximately 100 French products that read, "This is a French product."
The French store Carrefour, a partnership in Turkey with Sabanci Holdings, has been the most affected by the protests. The number of cars parked at the shopping center has been declining daily. Fewer customers are coming to the shopping center with every passing day.
There has been a 30 percent decrease in the sales of Total oil, which is on top of the Consumers Association's list.
French Goods Removed from Stores
Kiler Retail Chain, which has 130 stores in Turkey, suspended sales of French products. The retailer chain cancelled its contracts with Danone and French cosmetics companies and also removed other French goods from their shelves.
Kiler, which means cellar in Turkish, will put posters criticizing the bill approved by the French parliament on the shelves left empty by the absent French products. Officials of the chain asserted that reactions from their customers were highly influential in making this decision.
LC Waikiki: We are a Turkish Company
Clothing company LC Waikiki announced that it was not a French company as presented to the public, but a Turkish company. The company issued a full page announcement in daily newspapers in Turkey after its name was mentioned on the list of products to be boycotted.
The company's announcement asserted that they needed to explain their origin after some Internet forums claimed they were French. The announcement read, "LC Waikiki was purchased from French DDKA Company by Tema Textile Corporation in 1997 and became a Turkish company."
Carrefour Parking Lot Empty
The number of customers at the French Carrefour in Turkey has decreased dramatically. Some executives suggested that the decrease in the number of visitors could be due to Ramadan, in addition to the protests. An official from the Istanbul center said: "Normally, on Saturdays it was impossible to find empty places in the parking lot and parking garage. Yesterday our parking garage was almost empty."
Danone Products Returned
Onur Hypermarkets Beylikduzu location Manager Ekrem Yilmaz said that people who bought Danone products were beginning to return them after learning that Danone was a French company.
"There is no strong reaction yet. Some of our customers brought back Danone products they had previously purchased. Some of them returned them claiming the product had expired," said Yilmaz.
Source: Zaman
Güncelleme Tarihi: 20 Eylül 2018, 18:16
