French Supermarket Reportedly Accused of Criminal Offense Over Nutella Sale

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The French consumer and competition watchdog accused the Intermarche supermarket chain of a criminal offense over the sale of Nutella in January for about 30 percent of its original value, which resulted in altercations in several French shops, local media reported on Friday.

The consumer watchdog found that Intermarche broke the law on selling at a loss, which is allowed only under certain conditions, according to Le Parisien newspaper.

The law allows selling at a loss under certain conditions, including seasonal goods, perishables (if no advertising is present on the outside at the point of sale) or during sales periods. However, Intermarche branded the lowering of the price for Nutella as a “discount.”

According to media reports, Intermarche may now face a fine of 375,000 euros, or roughly $461,193. The case has been transferred to prosecutors.

The discount attracted widespread attention when videos of customers shoving each other in attempts to get to Nutella cans appeared on the Internet last month.

Sourse: sputniknews.com