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France Antitrust Fines Organic Retail Group and Retailer Units €12.67 Million Over Collusion

The ruling targets a plan to keep the same organic brands out of supermarkets to block price comparisons.

Overview

  • France’s competition authority, which issued its decision Thursday, ordered €12.67 million in fines against Synadis Bio and units linked to Carrefour and Intermarché.
  • Regulators found a coordinated plan from March 2017 to October 2024 that stopped the same organic brands from being sold in both specialist shops and general supermarkets.
  • Synadis Bio received a €10 million penalty after board meetings and a 2018 internal rule drove the policy across its member chains.
  • Greenweez was fined €1.85 million with parent Carrefour held jointly liable, ITM Entreprises owed €740,000 with Les Mousquetaires, and Les Comptoirs de la Bio paid €80,000.
  • The case reflects how supermarkets became the main channel for organic goods since 2016 as Synadis-linked chains span about 2,000 stores and €3 billion in yearly sales.