site.btaConsumer Protection Commission Chair: Large Part of Grocery Store Chains Refuse to Provide Information

Commission for Consumer Protection (CPC) Chair Maria Filipova stated that the refusal of a large part of the retail chains to provide the information that the Consumer Protection Commission has requested from them hinders its inspections, the CPS said. This refusal also undermines the institution's attempts to help normalize the market environment. In this way, the retail chains, instead of assisting the state in restoring the normal functioning of the market, which is in the interest of all participants in the chain (producer, supplier, trader, consumer), increase the risk of a continued deterioration of the market situation, Filipova explained.

The CPS has requested information from grocery store chains not only because of the consumer signals received by the Commission, but also to establish whether unfair commercial practices are being applied that harm the economic interests of consumers by limiting the right to free choice, misleading or failing to provide information about the actual amount of final prices or about the amounts of discounts and the periods of their application.

“I am extremely disappointed by the way in which a large part of the retail chains are neglecting the problem of Bulgarian consumers related to the continuous increase in prices of basic food products. Even more so when there are suspicions of unjustified price increases, without a visible economic reason, which may lead to a complete distortion of the internal market. Such behavior by traders operating on the Bulgarian market, which is part of the EU internal market, is unacceptable for any member state, regardless of the nationality of the chain,” Filipova said.

The CPC Chair noted that she relies on these retail chains to reconsider their current position and help ensure the proper functioning of the market by providing the relevant information to the Commission, unless the retail chains are concerned that providing this information could incriminate them in possible violations of consumer law.