Holiday Chocolates: Why Lindor Won’t Be Sold at Leclerc This Year

This year, supermarket shelves may surprise those who were used to stocking Lindor at Leclerc for Christmas. Indeed, some references of the famous Lindt brand will no longer appear on the shelves of certain major retailers. These are Lindor “Pyrénéens” and “Champs-Élysées.” Michel-Édouard Leclerc, the head of the store chain, explains that Lindt asked him for a very large price increase.
Result: the retailer decided not to renew certain partnerships and to partially withdraw Lindor gift sets. This withdrawal is a real blow to fans of these melt-in-your-mouth little spheres… But also a strong signal in the world of mass grocery. When a supplier raises the stakes, retailers can push back!

The Leclerc / Lindt Breakup: A Costly Disagreement

It would seem that the rupture between Leclerc and Lindt isn’t just a matter of bad timing, but a commercial confrontation. According to Michel-Édouard Leclerc, Lindt demanded a significant price increase, higher than what the store was willing to swallow. Faced with a request deemed too large, the retailer chose to play hardball in negotiations.
This decision is not without consequence: Lindor is a holiday staple and its disappearance creates a non-negligible gap in the chocolate aisles. Leclerc, which bets on volume and affordable prices, could not accept a price that was too high. Such a price could have cooled Christmas purchases. A risky strategy, but one that shows Leclerc’s willingness to protect its margin and its customers.