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IKEA U-turn on sausage price hike amid public outcry

TT/Becky Waterton
TT/Becky Waterton - [email protected]
IKEA U-turn on sausage price hike amid public outcry
Photo: Vilhelm Stokstad/TT

IKEA announced plans to hike the price of its classic boiled hotdog from 5 kronor to 7 kronor, the first increase since 1995, but sausage lovers on social media protested, leading the company to abandon its plans.

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IKEA justified the price increase with the fact that the company's vegetarian alternative should be cheaper than the standard meat-based sausage for climate reasons.

They planned to reduce the price of vegetarian sausages at the flat-pack furniture chain by 50 percent, from 10 kronor to just 5.

Now, the company has announced that they will not increase the price of the meat sausage, with both sausages costing 5 kronor, vegetarian or otherwise.

"A sausage is a sausage, no matter its form," the company wrote in a statement.

When asked how he thought customers may respond to the decision, he said that he "can imagine that it might stir up some feelings, but we hope for a positive reaction".

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Competitor Biltema, which specialises in tools and car supplies and is also known for its 5 kronor hotdog, responded to IKEA's price hike plans with its own campaign, featuring a Biltema hotdog, a 5 kronor price tag, and the text "why pay more?"

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Biltema (@biltemasverige)

"We've seen our competitors have increased the price for a classic hotdog in a bun," head of marketing at Biltema Sweden, Johan Gerdevåg, said.
"But for us at Biltema, it's obvious that we shouldn't change the price of our classic."
"Everyone should have the possibility to enjoy a hotdog without it costing a fortune," he said.

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