Irish supermarkets stuck in price war with Unilever
Unilever has been accused of using Brexit as a smokescreen to raise grocery prices.
The producer wants to add up to 19% to the cost of well-known brands such as Persil and Pot Noodles.
Irish supermarkets like SuperValu, Centra and Dunnes Stores are fighting the hikes.
A similar dispute with Tesco has been sorted, but Consumer journalist Sinead Ryan says there's no reason for the argument in the first place: "The Brexit vote has resulted in the Sterling dropping about 16% against the Euro.
"Now it doesn’t make a whole pile of sense to put the prices up for products that are made in the UK and a lot of these products are."
Irish supermarkets are caught in a price war with the producers of brands like Lyons, Hellmans and Persil.
Super Valu, Centra and Dunnes Stores are holding out as Unilever tries to hike prices by 19%.
The company - which has resolved a similar dispute with Tesco in the UK - is trying to raise prices following a fall in the pound's value since the Brexit referendum.
Managing Director of Supervalu Martin Kelleher says he is anxious to resolve the row: "We are not part of a group the size of Tesco and Tesco Ireland being a UK subsidary is something that means that their resolution happens immediately.
"We would hope to resolve it as soon as possible and continue to give Irish shoppers the best value that we can."
