Anti-French boycott harming sales

Puncturing earlier reports that the American boycott of French goods was going nowhere, French companies tell the Washington Post that the boycott is causing them significant harm. French wine distributors say that anti-French feeling is costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost sales. “We have seen French wines decreasing,” said Bill Deutsch, the number one U.S. importer of French wines. “We’ve seen stores take French wines off the floor of their store. We’ve seen major chains stop the advertising of French wines in their weekly ads.” The French president of a home-decor business in New York that imports exclusively French products said sales have been down 40 to 50 percent since February. “It’s a very, very deep reaction,” she said. “We would never have expected something so lasting.”

The story concludes: “The importers, angry and frustrated, said the government in Paris did not comprehend the effect of its war position on French businesses.”

That’s not all they didn’t comprehend, is it?

Posted by Lawrence Auster at April 17, 2003 01:29 AM | Send