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AIBU?

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Original poster

Morrisons refusing to remove Russian products from sale.

213 replies

Paintyourpaletteblueandgrey · 06/03/2022 10:11

I went shopping to Morrisons last night. Wandering the alcohol aisle I found a full lit up display of Russian Standard vodka which is made in St Petersberg. Morrisons announced earlier that week that they, like all other supermarkets, were withdrawing all Russian products for sale due to the ongoing Ukraine crisis so I was quite surprised to see it there.

As I was leaving I spoke to customer services asking why the vodka was still on the shelves. The store manager came down with an email from the head office to show me. Basically Morrisons have withdrawn the vodka online but have decided to continue to sell it on their stores. Their view is that regardless of what is going on in Ukraine, they have bought the vodka and don't believe they should lose out on the profits for it (manager's words not mine). I asked why they had announced that they were banning Russian products when it was untrue and was told 'well why should we lose money?'

Am I being unreasonable thinking that Morrisons have just jumped on the Ukraine bandwagon with no actual intent to stand by their comments. They are putting money before morality. Surely we should be making a stand against Russia rather than paying lip service to them. I tweeted Morrisons last night but surprise surprise, they have ignored my tweet.

OP posts:
PlanetNormal · 06/03/2022 11:55

@Aishah231

Boycotts can be very effective but if you're going to boycott Russian goods you should also be boycotting US goods, and Israeli etc etc. Russia aren't the only aggressive power in the world. Ask the Iraqis, afghans and Libyans. Yemen's, Palestinians. Does it matter more because it's on tv all the time?
The reality is that it matters more because it’s in Europe, and the people affected by this war are Europeans, just like us.

That may not be the appropriate PC answer according to Palestine-obsessed, US-hating anti-semitic lefties, but it’s the truth.

couldhave · 06/03/2022 11:56

I think the UK is also currently boycotting Iraq; Kuwait; Lebanon; Libya; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Syria; Yemen...
Did you or your parents/grandparents boycott South African apples etc in the 80s?
It is an effective way to reduce funds to dubious regimes. Putin needs money to finance Russia's war.
I heard a charity suggest we all turn our heating down 1 degree to reduce the profit going to Russia from our heating. I don't know if that is true or not, but I guess it is also in our own interests to do so.
Maybe just read labels and research where your sunflower oil comes from and if which companies are avoiding Russian wheat...
I just don't want any of my money funding Russia's war.

rc22 · 06/03/2022 11:57

I think it's fair for them to sell the stock they already have if they are not going to buy anymore.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 06/03/2022 11:59

@UniversalAunt

Wonder if Morrisons might consider donating the existing stock of Russian labelled goods to worthy causes?

I suppose to be squeaky ‘clean’ that will include all goods & products blended with Russian goods & products, processed in Russia & transported through Russia.

I'm not sure which good cause is going to be able to make use of cases of vodka Smile
couldhave · 06/03/2022 11:59

I have also donated to Ukraine, but that is helping with the outcome/result/fallout.
We also need to think about helping with the cause of the invasion and who is doing it, how they are funding it.

LindaEllen · 06/03/2022 12:01

@PegasusReturns

Since they’ve paid for the product any boycott is not going to serve as a sanction on Russia although it’s a positive show of solidarity to the Ukrainians.

I don’t have a strong view whether they should sell it or not but they definitely shouldn’t make a statement around not selling it and then continue to do so. That is performative bullshit.

A positive show of solidarity? Do you honestly think the people of Ukraine know or care what Morrison's have on their shelves right now? They're probably more concerned about getting bombed to death.
ancientgran · 06/03/2022 12:08

I get that they've already bought it but isn't the point that they are lying if they say they aren't selling any Russian products but in fact they are. No one forced them to make the announcement.

I hate lying.

curlymom · 06/03/2022 12:08

YABU. What difference does it make selling vodka they have already paid for. Do you want them to put it down the drain? Find something else to worry about fgs

SleepingStandingUp · 06/03/2022 12:11

Not buying NEW products from Russia - makes a point to Russia.

Landfilling items already brought from Russia - doesn't affect Russia in any way.

I also wouldn't expect people to go through their homes and throw out anything Russian. Its tokenism.

alibongo5 · 06/03/2022 12:12

@BasicBiscuit

How much if the boycott do you sent to be performative, and how much do you want it to be am actual sanction?

That vodka has already been paid for - the Russiam company has that money now. What purpose is being served by Morrisons not now selling it on? Russian Standard don't care if if they sell it, pour it down the sink, or use it an an accelerant on a picture of Putin, do they?

That's exactly what I was going to say. Fair enough not to buy anything more from Russia but no purpose is served in not selling something already bought.
SpilltheTea · 06/03/2022 12:13

Why would binning stock they've already paid for be 'making a stand against Russia'?

Tilltheend99 · 06/03/2022 12:18

I was getting ready to tell you UABU but UANBU at all. If they said publicly they were doing one thing and in reality are doing the opposite then they are taking the ‘cred’ for boycotting and the money for the goods at the same time which is quite a disgusting attitude.

Btw as a side note, I think it is important not to unfairly target Russians living in the U.K. who might be anti Putin or may have even fled Putin. If it was ‘Russian style vodka’ but produced somewhere else so that the money doesn’t enter Russia then I think that would be fine.

HesterShaw1 · 06/03/2022 12:19

@SpilltheTea

Why would binning stock they've already paid for be 'making a stand against Russia'?
Ah but if you announce it on FB then it shows you CARE.
Tilltheend99 · 06/03/2022 12:21

@SpilltheTea

Why would binning stock they've already paid for be 'making a stand against Russia'?
They could donate it to the local Ukrainian or Polish community centre (as the Polish people round here are working flat out to aid Ukraine)
CarrieHughes · 06/03/2022 12:23

I love all of this running around boycotting Russian products. Who's in line to give up their heating and electricity powered by Russian gas?

blubberyboo · 06/03/2022 12:23

You are being ridiculous
To not sell existing stock is only going to hurt our own economy and people. The stock should be sold to generate profits which could then be used to buy more vodka from other countries not least the UK
If the money isn’t there that’s less stock can be bought

SoupDragon · 06/03/2022 12:24

Removing stock that has already been paid for is simply virtue signalling and pointless.

Tilltheend99 · 06/03/2022 12:24

Or they could sell it and make it clear that 100% of the sale goes to Ukrainian refugees charities.

I’m not sure people on her seem to understand that we are now at War with Russia. Not militarily, but if we don’t take sanctions etc seriously it might end up that way.

Forestdweller11 · 06/03/2022 12:26

We have something of this type of issue at work. Russian product, bought and paid for and already shipped here and on the ground in our depot. Our russian supplier already has our money. We need to use it or we couldn't function ( lead time with other suppliers means ) . Are we not supposed to use it? We aren't buying any more russian product going forward.

Samcro · 06/03/2022 12:26

@SpaghettiSquash

I can't get worked up about this. The stock is already bought, the Russian company has already been paid. People can simply choose not to buy it and Morrisons can stop purchasing further stock from Russian companies.
this
Tilltheend99 · 06/03/2022 12:26

@SoupDragon

Removing stock that has already been paid for is simply virtue signalling and pointless.
The point is they have already done the virtue signalling. If they actually follow through on what they said they would do then it wouldn’t be virtue signalling now would it!
CushionSpiral · 06/03/2022 12:27

@BasicBiscuit

How much if the boycott do you sent to be performative, and how much do you want it to be am actual sanction?

That vodka has already been paid for - the Russiam company has that money now. What purpose is being served by Morrisons not now selling it on? Russian Standard don't care if if they sell it, pour it down the sink, or use it an an accelerant on a picture of Putin, do they?

This. Russia already has the money and not buying it going forward is different to Morrisons losing money. Like stopping container shops landing when the U.K. companies have already paid for the goods.
Dagnabit · 06/03/2022 12:28

I’m with Morrisons - it’s paid for now and the only action that will affect Russia is future action. Loss of profits will be passed onto the customer ultimately so wasting a load of alcohol is unnecessary.

LibbyL92 · 06/03/2022 12:28

They’ve already paid for the vodka.

If anyone wants to buy it, maybe the proceedings could go to Ukrainian aid?

And in future stores not to buy the product, once the product sells out.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 06/03/2022 12:29

I'd have thought the whole point of withdrawing Russian products is so that Russian sellers lose out. In this case the russian sellers have already made their profit so morrisons dumping loads of vodka is an environmental waste and the Russians don't lose out - they do.

If they were continuing to buy more this would be a different matter but I can't get worked up about them not getting rid of stuff that's already on the shelves