Delhaize supermarket has quietly removed a promotion for beer which made fun of the coronavirus panic.
An alert shopper posted a photograph on social media on Monday evening showing a promotion underway in the Shop & Go store on Avenue Louise in Brussels. Standing next to each other were bottles of Corona beer and Mort Subite kriek.
The sign read “Vaccine of the moment: buy two Coronas, get one free Mort Subite”. The joke being that “mort subite” means “sudden death”.
“The customers think it’s funny,” the shop staff were quoted as saying. “We haven’t had any negative reactions yet.”
However, Het Laatste Nieuws made a call to Delhaize, and found them to be not amused.
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“This does not represent the general view of Delhaize,” said PR head Roel Dekelver. We have asked that this action be halted, and the signage to be removed.”
It soon became clear that had been done. The company stressed that the display had been the initiative of the shop’s independent franchisee.
Since then, other branches have been advised not to consider any other actions relating to the virus Covid-19.
“We are taking the coronavirus very seriously,” Dekelver said. “Such actions reflect badly on our image, and on the responsibility we have to our staff, and to the five million customers who visit our stores weekly.”
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
