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Australia: ACCC brings Coles to court

By  |  October 16, 2014

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is suing supermarket giant Coles for anticompetitive conduct, say reports.

Coles is accused of engaging in unfair business practices by demanding money from suppliers that it was not entitled to. According to the watchdog, Coles abused its market position to strong-arm suppliers in instances occurring five years ago.

Specifically, the supermarket was found to have forced suppliers to pay for profit gaps, among other financial losses. The ACCC first launched an investigation into the matter earlier this year to review the company’s overall relationship with suppliers.

Reports say Coles could pay up to $1 million for the alleged anticompetitive conduct.

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