German supermarket empties shelves of foreign-made goods to make a point about racism

A German supermarket has emptied its shelves in an effort to make a point about racism and diversity.

The Edeka store in Hamburg removed foreign-made products from its stock, replacing them with sign bearing anti-xenophobia slogans.

It is believed the move will be followed be a larger campaign from Edeka, the largest supermarket chain in Germany.

Surprised shoppers entered the store to find that much of the normal selection was gone, demonstrating how reliant they are on other countries for everyday products.

Instead, they were greeted with signs saying: “This shelf is pretty boring without diversity.”

Other signs said: “Our range now knows borders”, "This is how empty a shelf is without foreigners" and "we will be poorer without diversity".

The campaign was met with mixed reactions among the German public, with some praising its boldness.

But others derided it as a marketing campaign, taking advantage of the politically charged atmosphere ahead of the country’s federal elections next month.

And some opposed the move politically.