Why Are People Rioting over Nutella?

Graham Pierrepoint

Anyone who’s a fan of chocolate or flavored spread will already know that Nutella is undoubtedly the brand to beat them all – it’s widely popular across Europe and North America, and has been the leading choice for sandwich lovers with a sweet tooth for decades. However, in mainland Europe, it appears that the mania for the nutty spread may have hit levels of fever pitch – as it seems the French really can’t get enough of the spreadable treat, even if it means rioting in-store over some fantastic deals!

This week, videos have emerged of stores in France erupting into frenzies of sorts, all thanks to reductions in price on the spreadable favorite – with some Intermarche stores offering a big 70% price slash on jars of Nutella, meaning that fans were now able to nab a jar at a rate of just 1.41 Euro, down from 4.50. It’s little wonder why there’s been such an interest in the price drop – but by looking at some of the viral videos which have dropped lately, you’d think that Black Friday was back all over again!

Watch: French shoppers express shock at Nutella 'riot' ▶

Social media has seen footage of the Nutella nuttiness taking place at several stores, where bystanders have remained agog at some of the chaos that has been unfolding – with people willing to fight each other over the last few jars and to get the best deals. If you thought French sweet teeth stopped at pain au raisin and a variety of continental confectionary, you’d be wrong – as people there are just as nuts about their spread as anyone else in the world. Can anyone truly say they are the world’s biggest fans of Nutella without having seen this level of frenzy?

Price cuts have, sadly, had the knock-on effect of causing something of a stir in various stores across the globe, with Thanksgiving discount day Black Friday having lived on in infamy in the US and now the UK for quite some time. Everyone loves a bargain, of course – but is it all worth it to risk life and limb? For those really craving Nutella, it certainly seems so – meaning that despite online shopping being bigger than ever, you’ll never quite get rid of high street havoc. With France reportedly set to slash what’s been termed as the ‘Nutella tax’, too, there’s more than a few reasons why Europeans are going gooey for the spread.