Norwegian retailers Norgesgruppen, Rema 1000, and Coop Norge are facing revised fines totaling a preliminary Nkr4.9 billion ($450.6 million) in a long-standing legal battle dating back to 2020.
The Competition Authority, Konkurransetilsynet, initially slapped the trio with combined fines of Nkr21 billion in 2020, alleging collusion to fix prices after an investigation launched in 2018. The regulator claimed that the retailers facilitated each other’s “price hunters” to gather pricing data, resulting in restricted competition and higher prices.
Konkurransetilsynet’s Director General, Tina Søreide, stated that the preliminary fines have been reduced, but emphasized that the assessment of competition restriction persists.
The revised fines, subject to objections, are Nkr2.3 billion for Norgesgruppen, Nkr1.3 billion for Rema, and another Nkr1.3 billion for Coop, marking a significant reduction from the original fines.
Read more: Norwegian Retailers’ Antitrust Fines Slashed
Ingvill Størksen, Coop’s Director of Policy and Government Relations, expressed disbelief over the regulator’s claims, defending the use of price hunters as fostering competition and benefiting consumers with lower prices and a wider selection.
As the May 2nd deadline for objections approaches, the retailers are preparing to challenge the regulator’s assertions, setting the stage for a protracted legal battle, highlighting an ongoing scrutiny of business practices in Norway’s grocery market.
Source: Global Data
Featured News
Uruguayan Antitrust Scrutiny Puts Major Meatpacking Deal Between Marfrig and Minerva on Hold
May 19, 2024 by
CPI
Alaska Airlines Seeks Dismissal of Consumer Lawsuit Over $1.9 Billion Hawaiian Airlines Buy
May 19, 2024 by
CPI
Idaho Attorney General Orders Split of Kootenai Health and Syringa Hospital
May 19, 2024 by
CPI
Court Rejects T-Mobile’s Appeal Bid in Antitrust Case Over Sprint Merger
May 19, 2024 by
CPI
Google Requests Judge, Not Jury, to Decide on Antitrust Case
May 19, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Ecosystems
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Mapping Antitrust onto Digital Ecosystems
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Ecosystems and Competition Law: A Law and Political Economy Approach
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Ecosystem Theories of Harm: What is Beyond the Buzzword?
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Open Ecosystems: Benefits, Challenges, and Implications for Antitrust
May 9, 2024 by
CPI