Bern, July 8, 2025 — Switzerland’s Competition Commission (WEKO) has fined 16 retailers a total of approximately CHF 28 million after finding that they engaged in unlawful rebate schemes and coercive tactics through their purchasing cooperation with Markant Handels- und Industriewaren-Vermittlungs AG.
The decision, announced today, follows a detailed investigation into the joint purchasing arrangements between the retailers and Markant, a service provider that negotiates terms with suppliers and handles payment services on behalf of the retailers. WEKO found that while such purchasing cooperations can be legitimate and even pro-competitive — helping retailers build countervailing power and secure lower prices for consumers — this specific arrangement crossed legal lines.
According to WEKO, the retailers used their collective strength to impose increasingly costly service packages on suppliers. When suppliers resisted, the retailers coordinated enforcement actions, including delisting products from store shelves, to pressure compliance. Markant then paid a portion of these service charges to the retailers in the form of rebates — without the suppliers’ knowledge.
WEKO concluded that the lack of transparency and the coercive nature of the rebates distorted competition among suppliers and amounted to unlawful price-fixing on the purchasing side.
“While coordinated purchasing can enhance efficiency and lead to lower consumer prices, collective enforcement actions and hidden rebates that distort supplier competition are inadmissible,” the Commission stated.
The fine targets only the 16 retailers involved in the agreement, not Markant itself. WEKO has clarified that the core purchasing cooperation — including collectively negotiated discounts — remains permissible, provided it does not involve non-transparent or anti-competitive practices.
The retailers now have the option to appeal the decision to the Federal Administrative Court.
ENDS
Source: https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/80qECKyzDZxK8gAq-0GcC
