MP Opposes Costco In Iceland

The parliamentary party chairperson for the Progressives says she is against Costco coming to Iceland, for “health reasons”.

“[The Progressives] want to avoid saving a few krónur on imported meat at the expense of our health later on in life,” Progressive parliamentary party chairperson Sigrún Magnúsdóttir told Vísir on the subject of Costco possibly coming to Iceland. “I say, ‘No thanks’.”

When asked if Icelandic consumers should be allowed to decide for themselves if they want to buy imported meat or Icelandic, Sigrún made her position clear:

“No,” she said. “I mean, maybe this is a kind of paternalistic, but I think we should protect what we have, where things are certified both abroad and overseas as quality goods.”

“These comments are the policy of a government in the past,” Finnur Árnason, the director of Hagar – a retail company that owns, amongst other companies, the Icelandic grocery chain Bónus – told Vísir. “She says very clearly that consumers should not have a choice. I think it’s important to have in mind that we have great food products, but so do other countries, too. It’s natural that consumers get to choose what they want.”

As reported, Costco is trying to get Icelandic government approval to set up at least two stores in Iceland. The matter is currently being reviewed by relevant ministries.