Black Red White is under scrutiny from Poland's Office of Competition and Consumer Protection over allegations of misleading pricing practices in its retail stores.
The regulator, led by Tomasz Chróstny, has filed charges claiming the company may have violated consumer protection laws by incorrectly displaying discount information. The investigation follows an inspection of 454 price tags, along with promotional materials such as posters and leaflets.
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According to UOKiK, key concerns include the failure to clearly indicate the lowest price from the previous 30 days, a requirement under EU regulations, and instances where advertised discounts did not represent genuine savings. In some cases, promotional prices were reportedly higher than the lowest price recorded in the preceding month, rendering the discount effectively misleading.
The authority emphasised that for a promotion to be valid, the discounted price must be lower than the lowest price offered in the previous 30 days. Without this, claims of savings may be considered deceptive and in breach of consumer law.
The investigation forms part of broader enforcement linked to the EU's Omnibus Directive, which aims to improve price transparency and prevent artificial inflation of prices before sales periods.
Other retailers, including Peek & Cloppenburg and Żabka Nano, are also facing allegations over pricing transparency issues. If found in breach, companies could face fines of up to 10% of annual turnover, highlighting the increasing regulatory focus on fair pricing practices in retail.
Source: www.biznes-meble.pl
