Price war starts a run on Norwegian nappies

Published on 01/02/2013 01:39

Southern Norway is in the grip of a nappy shortage after a supermarket price war lured enterprising bulk shoppers from eastern Europe who have cleaned out the shelves, customs officials and retailers said.

Norway is one of the world’s most expensive countries. However, supermarkets in the south trying to lure local customers by undercutting rivals on price inadvertently made it profitable enough for residents of nearby countries to start trading in them.

“They buy every last nappy, I mean everything we have on the shelves, throw it in the back of their car and take them home, where they sell it for a nice profit,” said Terje Ragnar Hansen, a regional director for retail chain Rema 1000. “It’s not stealing and it’s not even criminal but it’s a big problem … they leave nothing for our regular customers.”

Customers come into Norway from Sweden, drive along the coast to fill their cars, then take a ferry back to the continent, said Helge Breilid, the chief of customs in Kristiansand on Norway’s southern coast.

Some have been stopped with nappies worth up to 50,000 crowns (about £5,735), which is roughly 80,000 nappies.

“They told us that the only reason they came to Norway was to drive around and buy nappies to bring back home and resell,” Ms Breilid said. “These people mainly come from Poland and Lithuania.”