Calls to boycott supermarkets in Lebanon as prices continue to skyrocket

Published 06 Apr,2021 via Asharq Alawsat (English Edition) - The Movement of Secondary Contractors called Monday on Lebanese people to boycott supermarkets for a whole week in an effort to limit the astronomical rise in prices of products and the manipulation of their expiry dates.

Lebanon has witnessed a dramatic collapse of its currency, which has lost about 90 percent of its value against the dollar since late 2019. The devaluation has led to skyrocketing food prices by around 400 percent and mounting poverty as people could no longer afford to buy basic goods.

In a statement Monday, the movement called on teachers, contractors, students and all residents “to stop going to all supermarkets until next Sunday evening,” in an attempt to confront the supermarket “mafias” and merchants who are causing the increase in prices, manipulating their expiry dates and only displaying poor quality products on shelves.

The movement also accused supermarket owners and merchants of stockpiling subsidized goods, such as powdered milk, rice, oil and sugar.

Several calls have also previously been made to boycott certain products, such as meat. Some activists have also called on residents to stop buying poultry and eggs after the price of one carton reached LL40,000 while merchants were receiving them for LL20,000.

Meanwhile, people continue to rush to supermarkets with hopes of buy dwindling supplies of subsidized milk, rice and oil.

Several scuffles have broken out in recent weeks between customers seeking to buy the goods. They have also scuffled with supermarket employees who are accused of not displaying subsidized products on the shelves.

On several occasions, security forces were prompted to interfere to contain the fighting. Many have also been deployed at supermarkets to prevent any scuffle.

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