Germany’s competition watchdog has opened a probe into an alleged cartel in the country’s food retail sector.
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The Bundeskartellamt yesterday (14 January) raided the offices of several retailers and food manufacturers to seize information for the investigation.
German retailer Edeka said officials from the competition watchdog had visited the retailer’s HQ. It said the company was “fully co-operating” with the investigation, which centres on confectionery, coffee and pet food.
A spokesman for another retailer, Metro Group, also confirmed the watchdog had visited its offices but declined to comment further.
When asked if Edeka and Metro were innocent of any claims of cartel activities, the spokesmen of both companies refused to comment.
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By GlobalDataA spokesman for the Bundeskartellamt said around 20 retailers and up to five manufacturers were under investigation.
He said the anti-trust body had gathered data from previous investigations into specific sectors for the current probe.
The spokesman said the watchdog had also secured information from industry insiders before launching the probe and revealed companies had agreed to help with the investigation. In sum, he added, the anti-trust body had a “good degree” of evidence.
The Bundeskartellamt could lessen any “punishment” handed down at the end of the investigation to companies who co-operate, the spokesman said.
He refused to be drawn on how long the investigation could take and noted the “complicated” nature of probing “lots of companies”.
