Bulgaria’s Antitrust Watchdog Launches Probe into Major Retail Chains Over Supplier Practices

The Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) has opened formal proceedings against Kaufland Bulgaria EOOD & CO and Maxima Bulgaria EOOD, the operator of T-Market stores, over suspected unfair trading practices in their relations with suppliers and producers, according to an official statement from the regulator. The move follows a broader sector-wide review of the essential food retail market, which has been underway for some time and is based on detailed analysis of pricing structures, discount mechanisms, retail markups, and contractual arrangements between large chains and their suppliers. Preliminary findings from the CPC, presented in December last year, pointed to significant structural distortions in the food supply chain....