Faced with new data, regarding the promotions and offers that apply to basic goods on supermarket shelves, consumers will be in the near future. Specifically, from the beginning of March, the implementation of the new Code of Conduct for Offers and Discounts has begun, with the aim of definitively eliminating misleading practices.

In his statements to the Athens Macedonian News Agency, the General Manager of the Greek supermarket Union, Greece, Apostle Petalashe said that this is a European Code, a European directive adopted by most European countries, including Greece.

“It essentially concerns a code for communicating a reduction in the price of a product throughout the range of retail sales,” says Petalas.

As he explains, the implementation of the new Code to supermarkets and other retail markets has begun for two years. “In supermarkets the volume of bids is very high, the speed of the products very fast and the consumer’s traffic very common (an average consumer visits supermarkets 52 times a year) so the effect on this industry is very high. In this context, it took more time to prepare the industry, ”he notes.

The Code of Conduct is about price communication, does not concern product pricing, as Mr. Petalas explained.

In fact, he continued, he has two basic principles. When a price reduction is communicated either in the form of a discount or in the form of supply, then the communication will be in relation to the reference price which is the lowest price sold this product for the last 30 days in that store. The second key element is that a quantitative offer (one plus one gift, two plus one gift, three plus one gift) cannot be valid all year long because then it is not the right price of the product. Obviously, he continues, his price must be different from that mentioned in communication, and that is why it is determined by the Ministry of Development that the time of an offer may not be more than 1/3 of the year.

“Applying the code helps the consumer to be able to understand what exactly the communication is for a product. The consumer understands that communication (discount or offer) is done with a reference value. So everything becomes clearer for the consumer, ”says Mr Patalas.

The General Manager of the Hellenic Supermarket Union recalled that the preparation of the businesses in the industry has been launched for six months, at the initiative of the Ministry of Development and the General Secretariat of Commerce and the supermarket chains have the necessary cooperation with the food producers and the food producers with of the code.

Most importantly, according to Mr Petalas, the consumer understands the changes. “The consumer has been addicted all these years in a way that perceives offers. This will change radically and, in the end, the consumer will be able to compare the prices of the products and be aware of the final price it pays for a product. “

Asked about the measures taken by the Government as part of the accuracy of the accuracy, the General Manager of the Greek supermarket Union, Apostolos Petalas, says: “Many of the interventional measures, when they were taken in recent years, and especially during the pandemic period, had a meaning. Due to the uncertainty of measures, the measures were aimed at protecting the consumer and the market. ” “However, he notes, almost all of these measures are still in force today, and precisely because of the long duration, their existence and competition prevents the consumer does not help to be able to choose chains that will make their purchases with cheaper products.”

From March 6th the Code of Conduct, from March 17

As the Ministry of Development has announced, after months of consultation with all market players (supermarkets, food industry, multinationals) – so be clear what is a discount and offer and how the relevant promotions can be done – the Code of Code of Code can be processed.

The enriched Code of Conduct, to which new cases of consumer infringements and examples related to misleading discounts and bids will be added, will be announced on Thursday, March 6th.

It will be followed by ten days of information and familiarization of the market and on Monday, March 17th, intensive controls will be started by the Code of Conducts.

That is, as it is known, any promotional energy in the supermarkets will be calculated on the basis of the lowest price sold by the product in that store in the last 30 days and not by the “official discount” given by the supplier. In multiplications (“1+1 gift” or “2+1 gift” etc.), the product should be compulsorily available and individually on the shelf, so that the consumer can compare the prices immediately. For multiplications with up to 60 days, there is no need to have the product code on the shelf, it is sufficient for the usual product sale price, except for the offer period, to be the one the merchant in the offer, which is documented by the invoices, by legislation.

Regarding commercial practices, such as discount cards and coupons, with which the consumer has the right to discount price for all the seller’s products or for specific product lines, during prolonged continuous periods (eg six months, one year), or even when the consumer receives a coupon (eg 20%) with the purchase of a coupon (eg. period, they are still controlled by the provisions on unfair commercial practices.

The penalties provided for in the Code will be up to EUR 1.5 million, depending on the severity of the infringement, and in the event of a recurrence the fine will be able to double.