Supermarkets in probe over giveaway

6 May 2005

BRUSSELS – Belgian authorities are investigating GB supermarkets over a giveaway deal, it was reported on Friday.

The promotion, run by French Carrefour which owns GB, was launched on 27 April and was called ‘53 products reimbursed at 100 percent’. Customers were promised 53 different gifts.

The deal was due to run for 12 days, until 8 May. But stocks ran out within the first few days in most GB stores.

Consumer complaints about the ‘raw’ deal at GB, some as soon as a few hours into the new promotion, poured into Belgium’s Test Achats consumer affairs agency.

Promotional deals are illegal under Belgian law if stocks are too low to allow for the entire announced period of the special sale or deal. However, Carrefour is claiming it ordered 34 percent more stock than last year when the same deal was run.

It also points out that the advertisements included the phrase : « until stock runs out ».

Subject: Belgian news