The American food company Coca-Cola will have to deliver its goods to Edeka supermarkets again in the future - at the maximum purchase prices agreed in January 2022.

That was decided by the district court in Hamburg on Thursday, as it became known today.

"This decision is a positive signal for consumers in Germany," said an Edeka spokesman.

Stefanie Diemand

Editor in Business.

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With the court ruling, Edeka has achieved its first legal success against the beverage manufacturer after months of dispute.

Coca-Cola stopped supplying its products to Edeka after the supermarket was unwilling to pay higher purchase prices to the manufacturer.

Coca-Cola justified its requested price increase with the sharp rise in costs for the company - including in the energy sector.

When Edeka did not accept this, Coca-Cola stopped deliveries.

Edeka is considered a tough negotiator in industry circles.

In addition to Coca-Cola, the grocer is said to be at odds with companies like Mars and Mondelez.

Mondelez is currently not supposed to deliver any Milka chocolate to Edeka.

Edeka even offensively defended itself against the price demands of the company Mars on social media: The Edeka subsidiary Netto criticized the high price demands of the group on Instagram.

Netto accuses Mars of "demanding moon prices".

On the Instagram platform it says: "The manufacturer Mars is demanding an unreasonable price increase." In the accompanying photo, Netto shows a pack of "M&M's", next to the private label product, which is cheaper according to the retailer.

According to Edeka, the judgment would "limit the price-gouging of some brand-name companies" "who want to maximize their profits with unjustified demands for price increases." Coca-Cola meanwhile wants to appeal, the company says to the FAZ. The decision of the Hamburg Regional Court was made without that Company "has been listened to, so that our arguments could not be incorporated," says the spokeswoman.

"For us, the dialogue with our customer Edeka was and is always in the foreground.".

The company "announced and explained the price adjustment early on."

In the dispute between Coca-Cola and Edeka, the last word has not yet been spoken.

The decision of the district court is initially valid until the end of September.