Walmart leads with most price gouging offences across Mexico

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The Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) reports they have initiated administrative procedures in dozens of stores and supermarkets around the country for price hiking during the contingency.

The agency says that of those guilty of price hiking, Walmart has accumulated the most offenses for unjustified price increases. On Thursday, the Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor (Profeco) said they found unjustified price increases in everyday necessities including eggs, tortillas, sugar, beans, oil, face masks, and antibacterial gel.

Profeco reported that Walmart and its Bodega Aurrerá stores accumulated 23 administrative offenses for unjustified price increases, pointing out that 13 correspond to their Bodega Aurrerá and 10 to Walmart.

In their statement, Profeco said depending on the severity of the offense, the fines range from 169,000 pesos to 4.7 million pesos. Other large stores also being sanctioned for price hiking offenses include Tienda Neto, Soriana, and Súper Regalo de Dios.

The offending stores are located in Mexico City, Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nuevo León, Puebla, Tabasco, Veracruz, Yucatán, Zacatecas and Quintana Roo.

The offenses stem from 274 complaints to Profeco from April 1 to 19. The agency says of those complaints, Walmart made up 23.7 percent followed by its Bodega Aurrerá stores with 23.3 percent, and Soriana with 14.9 percent.

In addition, 75 warnings were issued to large producers and distributors of eggs, beans, sugar and other basic consumer products including Bayer, Bachoco, Huevo San Juan, Danone, Farmacias Guadalajara, Maseca, Jumex, Avícola and Piscícola de los Altos, among others.

Likewise, 223 retail establishments were suspended from commercialization and the corresponding Procedure for Violations of the Law was initiated for their unjustified price increases.

Source: poderinformativo.com.mx, anonymousmx.mx

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