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The Competition Authority (AdC) reported this Friday that it accused the supermarket chains Modelo Continente, Pingo Doce, Auchan and the provider of alcoholic beverages Active Brands of setting prices charged to consumers in commercial surfaces.
Retailers will have taken advantage of the commercial relationship with Active Brands -of the Gestvinus group and until then supplier of the Licor Beirão and Porto Velhotes brands- to align the retail prices (RRP) of the latter’s main products, to the detriment of the consumers, according to AdC. However, among the targets is a director of Active Brands, whose identity has not been disclosed.
“If confirmed, the conduct in question is very serious. It is a practice of hub and radios where the distribution chains use bilateral contacts with the supplier to ensure, through this, that all practice the same RRP in the retail market. This is a practice that harms consumers, depriving them of the option to choose the price of the products they buy in mass distribution ”, highlights the authority.
The entity led by Margarida Matos Rosa explains that these situations occurred between 2008 and 2017, and the accusation is part of the third set of cases of hub and radios investigated in Portugal. That is, when there is an agreement or exchange of prior information between competitors through another ‘base’ company.
Supermarket chains and beverage suppliers accused of price fixing
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