Lindt chocolates missing from major French supermarket this Christmas
The Swiss brand’s seasonal products will not be sold in Leclerc stores
Lindt advent calendars and seasonal Christmas chocolates will not be available in Leclerc stores
Real_life_photo/Shutterstock
Advent calendars and Christmas chocolates are among the Lindt products absent from the shelves of national supermarket chain Leclerc this festive period.
Leclerc’s decision to boycott Lindt’s seasonal products comes after the two companies failed to agree on prices.
"Every year we enter into negotiations with our commercial partners regarding the distribution of our Christmas collections,” said Lindt France, as reported by regional media Sud Ouest. “These negotiations are routine: this year, they took place against a backdrop of significant increases in global cocoa prices. As sometimes happens, no agreement could be reached with E. Leclerc for the 2025 season".
Cocoa prices have risen sharply in recent years, peaking at roughly $12,000 (€10,300) per tonne in December 2024, according to the International Cocoa Organisation.
The pricing dispute means that Lindt seasonal products such as chocolate reindeer will not be available in Leclerc stores. However, they will still be on sale in other French supermarkets and on the Lindt France website.
It is expected that Leclerc stores will continue to stock standard Lindt products such as chocolate bars.
No further statements have been released by either company so as not to impact negotiations for the Easter season, which are already underway, reports FranceInfo.
Previous price disputes
This is not the first time a major retailer in France has boycotted an international brand for lack of commercial agreement.
Carrefour banned US manufacturer PepsiCo products from its stores because of high prices in January 2024.
This decision meant that brands such as Lay’s, Doritos, Pepsi, 7Up, Lipton, Quaker Oats, and Bénénuts were temporarily removed from shelves.
