High fines for supermarket chainsgain “shopping basket” with additional products and changes in price labeling so that comparison is possible, “forced” Ministry of Development to fight accuracy, with related announcements made a day after his data was released to the public Hellenic Statistical Office (ELSTAT) which showed that food inflation is maintained at a very high level.

Thus, according to the Minister of Development and Investment Adonis Georgiadis yesterday, fines totaling 382,497 euros were imposed on five supermarket chains that violated the regulation on speculation, i.e. other prices were for products on the shelf, while others were paid by the consumer when they approached to the store checkout. The fines announced yesterday are as follows:

– 319,900 euros for AB Vasilopoulos. This is the second largest fine imposed on a supermarket chain. Violations concerned 23 product codes, 7 of them were in the “household basket”.

– 26,880 euros in Lidl, Greece. Although the fine is less than 50,000 euros, the name of the company was announced as the chain is recalcitrant. The fine was imposed for violating the provisions of the commodity code.

– 21,387 euros in the Galaktika network. He is also a recidivist and violations relate to 5 codes.

– 9,330 euros in the Kritikos chain, which is also a repeat offender and the violations concerned 4 codes (two bakery products, a fresh chicken wings product, and a frozen cod heart product, according to the company itself).

In total, 382,497 euros were fines imposed on five networks that violated the regulation on speculation.

– 5,000 euros and a recommendation of a network that has not previously been fined and for this reason its name has not been announced.

Recommendations were made to another network as well.

The Kritikos network published an official statement on the fine, which refers to the “paradoxical and beyond the economic and commercial logic of the calculation provided for by the ministerial decision” (for the profit margin ceiling) and reserves the right to question its legal and material validity to fine using any legal remedy. AB Vassilopoulos has not made an official statement, but company sources call the fine “unfair and unreasonable” and emphasize that since the launch of the “basket” they have lost more than 2 million euros, selling products even below cost. The company is also expected to appeal to the court against the decision to impose a fine.

Twelve additional categories

However, the “basket” from next Wednesday, February 22, will include 12 additional categories, of which 5 are completely new, and the remaining 7 are the result of a split of existing ones. Five new categories: fresh beef, highly pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized whole milk, high-pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized low-fat milk, white cheese and chocolate. In addition, the “legumes” category is split into three categories (beans, chickpeas, lentils), the “rice/turkey” category is split into two separate categories, and the “chicken” category is split into two categories, whole chicken and chicken parts (e.g. thighs). , wings, chest).

From February 22, the application of the “Lenten Basket” begins with the addition of three categories (halvah, lean salads and frozen seafood). Regarding the general household basket, which normally expires on March 31, 2023, the Minister of Development announced yesterday that it has been extended until the end of June 2023.

What’s more, yesterday a ministerial decree was signed requiring unit prices to be displayed on supermarket shelves in much larger print so that prices can be compared. The measure is mandatory for all supermarket chains, regardless of turnover. Networks have one month to adapt, after which penalties will be imposed for non-compliance, and smaller networks will be given more time to adapt.