Denmark: Supermarkets don't have Ramadan sales

Denmark: Supermarkets don't have Ramadan sales


Supermarkets all over the world know that there's money in Ramadan, and therefore they're now selling food items at rock-bottom prices, just as they do on Christmas and Easter.

But in Denmark, Danish Muslims search in vain for bargains on the shelves of the country's largest supermarkets.

Neither Superbest, Coop or Dansk Supermarked chose to offer Ramadan sales, and that's in spite of the fact that there's evidence that Muslims spend more on food during the 30 day long holy month.

Dansk Supermarked has deals on chickens as a direct result of Ramadan, but the sale is not marketed in connection to it.

"We don't think it's works, as determined by experience in the industry and our own gut feeling," says spokesperson Erik Eisenberg.

Michael Skou, marketing manager at Retail Institute Scandinavia, doesn't want to guess how much money they're losing. But the potential is large.

"We haven't been good enough to take it seriously. In Sweden people are more aware of the needs consumers of other ethcni origin have," he says.

One of the few companies to exploit Ramadan is Elgiganten, which last year had a deal on mobiles. Professor of marketing Dannie Kjeldgaard says that it can work positively for integration.

"It helps a religious minority to feel integrated when a holy day is recognized in a public mainstream-forum such as a large supermarket chain," he says, but stresses that it can also be perceived negatively when a religious tradition is commercialized.

Dannie Kjeldgaard thinks that the supermarkets are reluctant to offer sales since they're afraid of offending ethnic Danish customers, but Dansk Supermarked denies it. The decision is purely commercial, says spokesperson Erik Eisenberg.

Source: metroXpress (Danish)

See also: France: Growing halal market