Unilever pulls out Hellmann’s mayonnaise in South Africa and consumers are furious

Unilever plc announced it is discontinuing the sale of Hellmann mayonnaise in South Africa. The company cited high inflationary import costs as the reason for its decision.

As per Reuters, the spokesperson of Unilever said that the suspension will be in effect “until further notice.” He also confirmed to the publication that aside from the high cost of importing from the United States, higher prices of raw materials are another cause of the pullout.

The British consumer goods company said it will continue to deliver 1-kilo tubs of Hellmann Mayonnaise to its Unilever Food Solutions business. It also clarified that its other brands are not affected by the exit in South Africa.

It was further explained that Hellmann’s mayonnaise is not being produced locally because it is a very small brand in the country. Thus, the ones being sold there are all imports from the U.S. where the products are manufactured.

After the mayonnaise maker made its announcement, Shoprite which owns the Checkers store chain in S.A. told Reuters that Unilever notified them about the discontinuation of Hellmann's Mayonnaise.

Meanwhile, Fox News reported that shoppers in the country negatively reacted to the news that the mayonnaise brand is being taken down from the grocery shelves. Customers were said to have flocked to social media to express their disappointments and many are really furious.

Some of the comments posted by the locals stated that they are having a meltdown due to the pullout of Hellmann’s mayonnaise while others said in a tweet, "We in the very last days" and "I am mortified." One unhappy customer also asked, "It is the best, what are we going to do, where am I going to get my fix, where am I going to get that taste?"

Business observers said that this event is one of the latest examples of how the rising costs are affecting food manufacturers and retailers. They are being forced to remove their products from supermarkets since raw materials, shipping fees, and other things related to production and distribution are all going up.

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