Coop, Conad, Esselunga, Eurospin, Auchan e Carrefour. All the main supermarket chains in Italy have ended up in the crosshairs of theAntitrust, which has opened six investigations, one for each giant of large-scale retail trade (Gdo). The reason? An "alleged unfair practice to the detriment of baking companies", writes the Authority that supervises competition.
According to the allegations, supermarkets oblige their suppliers of fresh bread to collect and dispose of unsold bread at the end of the day at their own expense. After that, the large-scale distribution giants would have the difference in value between the bread delivered at the beginning of the day and the one returned at the end re-credited on subsequent purchases.
The investigations were initiated on the recommendation of Assipan-Confcommercio Imprese per l'Italia, the main national association of bakers. Some of the companies involved have also been inspected by Antitrust officials with the help of the Guardia di Finanza soldiers.
“The disputed practice – explains the Antitrust – is part of a situation of significant contractual imbalance between the large-scale distribution chains and the bakery companies (artisan companies with few employees). In this context, the obligation to collect unsold goods represents a contractual condition set to the exclusive advantage of large-scale retail chains and determines an undue transfer to the weaker contractor of the commercial risk of not being able to sell the quantity of bread ordered and purchased" .
Moreover, the bakers are forced to throw unsold bread in the food waste, because the law prohibits reselling it and even donating it for humanitarian purposes. The result is that a lot of bread is wasted every day.
This problem "has already been the subject of various public reports by the association of bread producers - concludes the Antitrust - which complains not only of the vexatious nature of the obligation imposed on bakers, but also of the extensive and negative repercussions it produces under the economic and environmental profile”.
