Egypt among the countries where multinationals are feeling boycott’s pinch: Sales of Western food and drink franchises in Muslim-majority countries have taken a hit due to widespread boycotts in countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan amid the ongoing boycott movement, the Financial Times reports. Franchise operators of Coca-Cola, KFC, Starbucks, Mondelez, Pizza Hut, and L’Oreal are among those that have faced boycotts, given “their perceived support for Israel in the war in Gaza,” the salmon-colored paper writes.

Marketing campaigns are down too: Many global companies are toning down their marketing to avoid more backlash, co-chair of the American Chamber of Commerce industry and trade commission in Egypt Alaa Hashim tells the FT. “I think a lot of international companies have lowered their profile, and have toned down a lot of communications to avoid provoking counter campaigns.”

There may be another factor at play: With big brands losing favor, local products are experiencing a surge in popularity. In Egypt, this comes amid high inflation that has necessarily tightened consumers’ wallets, Hashim noted.

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