Russia: Mondelez products produced in Europe still available on market despite co's export halt, Reuters reports; incl. co. comments
Toblerone still sold in Russia even as Mondelez nixed imports, 28 June 2024
Russians are still indulging in foreign-made Toblerone chocolate, according to internal sales documents seen by Reuters, showing the difficulty of U.S. manufacturer Mondelez's plan to isolate its business in the country from its global operations.
Facing continuing pressure from employees, activists and investors to leave Russia, Mondelez planned to make its business there "standalone with a self-sufficient supply chain" by the end of last year. It told Reuters in February that products in Russia were made and distributed locally, with "no imports of finished goods from Europe into Russia or exports from Russia into Europe.
"But, high-end Toblerone chocolate is made in Switzerland and Slovakia, and the sales documents viewed by Reuters indicate that 100 tons of it were sold in Russia in the first four months of this year, although volumes were down 12% from a year earlier.
The continued sales...show the challenges of removing Russia from the rest of Mondelez's business...
Mondelez said in a statement that it is possible that "branded products could be entering Russia through third-party distributors or brokers," grey market importers looking to capitalize on demand for Western brands that retreated after the war...