Carrefour Romania announced a temporary price reduction campaign on a selection of products amid calls for a supermarket boycott by isolationist politicians, following the model seen in Croatia, where consumer protests led to sales declines of up to 50%..

The retailer will apply discounts of 5% to 25% on 1,500 products from February 7 to March 31, marking the first wave of its 2025 discount program, initially introduced in 2024. The campaign will be available in Carrefour Hypermarket and Market stores, as well as online.

A wave of anti-supermarket protests has spread across the Balkans, with Romanian politicians Călin Georgescu and Victor Ponta advocating for a boycott on February 10. Inspired by Croatian consumer activism, similar initiatives have already gained traction in Bulgaria.

While the boycott is being promoted as a way to support local producers, experts caution that it could have adverse effects on Romanian farmers and suppliers who rely on major retailers.

Carrefour's price-cutting initiative will include 600 to 1,500 products in hypermarkets and 250 to 800 products in supermarkets. Key categories covered are frozen foods, groceries (breakfast items, pastries, canned goods, pet food, ingredients, sweet and salty snacks), dairy products and cheeses, cosmetics and home care products, and beverages.

"The experience of previous campaigns has shown us that such initiatives have a real impact. [...] We always look at our customers' choices and include in the action the favorite products that are on their shopping lists, regardless of whether we are talking about food, home care or cosmetics," said Narcis Horhoianu, Chief Marketing Officer and E-commerce Director of Carrefour Romania.

The Croatian boycott, which started in response to rising food prices, has led to significant sales losses for major retailers. Similar protests are now expanding across the region, with Romania being the latest country where politicians are mobilizing consumers against multinational supermarket chains.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Carrefour Romania)