Jerónimo Martins fined €36 million in Poland

Poland’s regulator has fined the Portuguese supermarket giant Jerónimo Martins, which operates in the country under the Biedronka trademark, €36 million for “deceptive advertising”.

The consumer protection regulator UOKiK which has fined the company 160.9 million zlotys says the supermarket chain has been practising dishonest pricing regarding the publicity campaign it ran between April and June 2022. It says that the “marketing message was deceitful and aimed to attract millions of consumers to its stores. Apart from being deceptive, the campaign had “complicated rules” and “disproportionate benefits”.
The campaign slogan was: “If you can find a product from our list of the 150 most often purchased items at a cheaper price at another store, we’ll pay you the difference”.
In the opinion of the regular led by Tomasz Chróstny “the advertising messages were designed to attract the attention of consumers and convey the impression that the products offered are the cheapest on the market”.
And the consumer watchdog states that Jerónimo Martins violated the collective interests of consumers.
Consumers had expressed negative opinions about the campaign on social networks, including on the supermarket’s own Facebook page, television stations, and complained at Biedronka stores.
However, the decision is not yet final and the group will have the opportunity to appeal the fine. Jerónimo Martins which has 3,400 stores all over Poland where it has operated for 25 years, employs 80,000 staff and has a turnover around €18 million per annum according to the company’s website.

trademark, €36 million for “deceptive advertising”.

The consumer protection regulator UOKiK which has fined the company 160.9 million zlotys says the supermarket chain has been practising dishonest pricing regarding the publicity campaign it ran between April and June 2022. It says that the “marketing message was deceitful and aimed to attract millions of consumers to its stores. Apart from being deceptive, the campaign had “complicated rules” and “disproportionate benefits”.
The campaign slogan was: “If you can find a product from our list of the 150 most often purchased items at a cheaper price at another store, we’ll pay you the difference”.
In the opinion of the regular led by Tomasz Chróstny “the advertising messages were designed to attract the attention of consumers and convey the impression that the products offered are the cheapest on the market”.
And the consumer watchdog states that Jerónimo Martins violated the collective interests of consumers.
Consumers had expressed negative opinions about the campaign on social networks, including on the supermarket’s own Facebook page, television stations, and complained at Biedronka stores.
However, the decision is not yet final and the group will have the opportunity to appeal the fine. Jerónimo Martins which has 3,400 stores all over Poland where it has operated for 25 years, employs 80,000 staff and has a turnover around €18 million per annum according to the company’s website.