Frustration over gaps on supermarket shelves

Frustration over gaps on supermarket shelves

The black and white notices are impossible to miss. They hang every two meters on the doors of the large fridges, which are filled with cold cuts and cheese, among other things. The printouts read: "Important information for customers: Unfortunately, due to strikes in our central warehouses, there may be incorrect items in the range." The notes are hanging in a Rewe store in Hilden, North Rhine-Westphalia, but can currently be seen in one form or another in other parts of the country.

Empty shelves have been commonplace in German supermarkets for months. The effects of strikes in the distribution of goods can be felt by customers in many places. The reason for this is that collective bargaining negotiations between retailers and the Verdi trade union have been deadlocked and without results for months. However, a solution is not in sight any time soon. Customers will probably have to live with restrictions on their weekly shopping for even longer.

How bad is the situation? Not dramatically, according to the official communication from the food retail companies. There are no bottlenecks and supplies are secure. Only in individual cases are products temporarily unavailable. When asked, Rewe, Edeka & Co. say that there is hardly any impact on consumers.

From the point of view of retail expert Jörg Funder, this is strategy. "The companies naturally don't want to admit that the situation is difficult, anything else would be a success for the union," he says. The companies don't want to make the other side unnecessarily strong or put customers off, which is why they are deliberately playing down the situation. Martin Fassnacht, a retail expert from WHU business school, says: "Full shelves awaken a desire to buy and lead to more purchases, empty shelves create a bad mood among customers and fewer purchases are made."

"You never know what you'll get tomorrow"

Which products are particularly affected? While the head offices of Rewe, Aldi & Co remain silent on details, local retailers are more forthcoming. The effects of the strike are serious and there are major problems with the supply of goods, says a retailer who operates several stores in the Dortmund area. He prefers not to be quoted by name because otherwise he could get into trouble with his regional company.

Because the drivers who drive the goods to his stores are on strike, he books a forwarding agent. This incurs extra costs, but at least he gets most of his goods. Nevertheless, the situation is critical, with some bottlenecks similar to those during the coronavirus pandemic. The shelves were completely empty after three days, especially for products that were doing well.

He doesn't think much of notices in his stores. "That looks scary." He cannot order and store more goods. His capacities and refrigerated areas are limited, and the best-before dates for fresh products don't allow it. He is therefore dependent on new goods arriving. He does not expect the wage dispute to be resolved this year. "We will have to live with the gaps for a while yet."

Another retailer from North Rhine-Westphalia is also annoyed about the situation. For him, it is not the drivers who are on strike, but the order pickers in the warehouse who are responsible for putting together the ordered goods. This has even more drastic consequences for him. Often only 20 roll containers per day reach his store instead of the usual 60. "You never know what you'll get tomorrow."

The result is gaps in the shelves, right across the entire range. He can neither order more nor receive deliveries directly from manufacturers. Although customers understand the situation, they are still angry when they don't get their favorite muesli. He hasn't put any notices up in his store. They give the impression that only the union is to blame for the situation. He doesn't think that's right. When asked about the communication from the food retail groups, he says: "They play down the problems."

Which products are affected?

According to expert Funder, shortages are occurring time and again, especially with products with a short shelf life such as fruit, vegetables, meat and frozen goods. Strikes have been taking place for months in various forms and with varying degrees of intensity depending on the federal state. Sometimes the strikes lasted a few hours, sometimes they dragged on for days. Warehouses and logistics are particularly affected, which means that order pickers and drivers are often absent. According to Verdi, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria are particularly affected. In NRW, warehouse locations of Edeka and Rewe have been on strike again since last week.

According to Funder, the extent to which customers are affected also depends on where they live. In rural areas and in smaller medium-sized towns, where there are often only small and medium-sized stores with less storage space, the gaps in the shelves are often more visible.

Verdi is demanding at least 2.50 euros more per hour for the 3.2 million employees in the retail sector and a duration of one year. The employers' side is offering an increase of up to 1.78 euros and an inflation compensation bonus of 750 euros - for a period of two years. Since May, a good 60 regional negotiation meetings have been unsuccessful. Most recently, the employers canceled the negotiations.

On Thursday, the German Retail Association (HDE) and the trade union Verdi met in Berlin for top-level talks and agreed on how to proceed. Negotiations at state level are now to be resumed. If an agreement is not reached soon, there is even a threat of intensified strikes. These would be particularly painful for consumers. "At Christmas, the family gets together and wants to treat themselves to something, such as a good roast. Customers don't understand if it's not available," says retail expert Fassnacht.

1. The ongoing wage dispute between retailers and trade unions, such as Verdi, has led to disruptions in the distribution of consumer goods, causing temporary shortages of items in supermarkets.
2. Trade unions, like Verdi, are demanding a significant wage increase of at least 2.50 euros per hour and a one-year duration, while retailers are only offering a smaller increase and inflation compensation bonus.
3. As a result of these strikes and wage disputes, certain consumer goods, such as fruit, vegetables, meat, and frozen foods, are often in short supply in supermarkets, leading to gaps on the shelves.

Source: www.dpa.com