German supermarket pulls foreign products off its shelves to make a point about diversity
24 Aug 2017
A German supermarket slashed its stock to make a point about racism and diversity.
Hamburg store Edeka pulled out all foreign-made products from its shelves and replaced them with signs carrying anti-xenophobic slogans.
A larger campaign will kick off after the move by the largest supermarket chain in the country.
The signs included several messages such as: "this shelf is pretty boring without diversity" and "this is how empty a shelf is without foreigners".
The stunt was opposed by some, who dismissed it as a marketing campaign or pointed out that the supermarket had no place in political discourse.
Federal elections in Germany have been set for 24 September this year.
According to Christian Democratic Union vice chairperson Julia Klockner, it was "wise action" on social media, because it made people think.
Marcus Pretzell of the Anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party, termed it "completely mad", and questioned the wisdom behind such a campaign.
The sign in the salad bar said ''our selection knows borders today'', while the cheese counter was all but empty, while customers had to forgo Spanish tomatoes and olives from Greece.
An Edeka spokesman said, "Edeka stands for diversity, and we produce a wide range of food in our assortment, which is produced in the different regions of Germany.
"But it is together with products from other countries that we create the unique diversity that our customers value.
"We are delighted to have received a lot of positive feedback regarding Saturday's action."
The supermarket's Facebook page which explained the supermarket's actions garnered 26,000 reactions.
