Fines of 1.05 million euros imposed on 3 supermarket chains and 2 companies for profiteering

Fines totaling €1.05m were imposed by the Independent Authority for Market Supervision and Consumer Protection on five companies, following the completion of inspections by the Interagency Market Control Unit (DIMEA) regarding compliance with the cap on gross profit margins, pursuant to Article 54 of Law 5045/2023.

According to the Authority’s announcement, the fines concern the companies LIDL HELLAS & SIA O.E. (€670,925), NESTLE HELLAS Single-Member S.A. (€144,700), ALFA BETA VASSILOPOULOS Single-Member S.A. (€109,900), MARKET IN AEBE (€72,370) and FLORA FOOD GREECE Single-Member P.C. (€52,870) for exceeding the permitted gross profit margin in a total of 65 product codes.

The inspections covered 3,168 product codes and spanned periods from 2023 to 2025, with reference to the gross profit margin per unit compared with the corresponding level prior to 31 December 2021. The decisions imposing the fines were signed on 6 February 2026 by the head of the Authority, Despoina Tsangari, following a recommendation by DIMEA, as part of intensified inspections aimed at protecting consumers and combating profiteering practices in the market.

The announcement in detail is as follows:

“With the completion of the inspections carried out by DIMEA to ensure compliance with the cap on the gross profit margin, fines are announced for five companies for which the relevant procedure has been completed, amounting to a total of €1.05m, pursuant to Article 54 of Law 5045/2023, which was in force until 30/06/2025. The companies on which the fines were imposed and which have been duly notified are as follows:

• LIDL HELLAS & SIA O.E.: €670,925 for exceeding the gross profit margin per unit, compared with the corresponding level prior to 31 December 2021, in 26 product codes. Inspection period: May–June 2025.
• NESTLE HELLAS SINGLE-MEMBER S.A.: €144,700 for exceeding the gross profit margin per unit, compared with the corresponding level prior to 31 December 2021, in 4 product codes. Inspection period: October–November 2023.
• ALFA BETA VASSILOPOULOS SINGLE-MEMBER S.A.: €109,900 for exceeding the gross profit margin per unit, compared with the corresponding level prior to 31 December 2021, in 22 product codes. Inspection period: May–June 2025.
• MARKET IN AEBE: €72,370 for exceeding the gross profit margin per unit, compared with the corresponding level prior to 31 December 2021, in 12 product codes. Inspection period: May–June 2025.
• FLORA FOOD GREECE SINGLE-MEMBER P.C.: €52,870 for exceeding the gross profit margin per unit, compared with the corresponding level prior to 31 December 2021, in one product code. Inspection period: October–December 2023.

A total of 3,168 product codes were inspected and violations were identified in 65 of them. The Head of the Independent Authority for Market Supervision and Consumer Protection, Despoina Tsangari, accepted the recommendation of the Interagency Market Control Unit (DIMEA) and signed the decisions imposing the relevant fines on Friday, 6/02/2026.”

According to information, the companies are expected to appeal to the courts, while in some cases the benchmarks have been distorted due to the existence of previous fines that have not yet become final.