Boots Ireland pleads guilty to breaking pricing laws during Black Friday sale
Tom Tuite
Today at 10:46
Boots Ireland has admitted breaking pricing laws during a 2023 Black Friday sale, triggering a Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) investigation.
The retail giant was summonsed to appear before Judge Anthony Halpin at Dublin District Court today, with the case centred on electric toothbrushes and perfume.
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Irish Daily Mirror
37 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Urgent warning over 'fake' Labubu dolls sold in Irish stores as recall issued
Labubu dolls have taken Ireland by storm, with collectors and fans of designer toys rushing to stores to get their hands on the quirky figures. Known for their distinctive designs, these collectable vinyl dolls have quickly become one of the most sought-after toy lines in the country. However, shoppers are being urged to exercise caution after a recall was issued for Pop Mart branded The Monsters Big Into Energy vinyl collectible dolls sold at Eason stores in Wexford, Gorey and Enniscorthy. Safety chiefs say the dolls cannot be confirmed as authentic Pop Mart products and may be unsafe. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) issued the recall today, explaining: "Eason Wexford, Gorey and Enniscorthy is carrying out a recall of Pop Mart branded The Monsters Big Into Energy Vinyl Collectible Dolls. The product cannot be confirmed as an authentic Pop Mart product. This may indicate that the product is unsafe." An estimated 74 of these dolls were sold during a three-day period between July 22 and July 25 of this year. The affected dolls carry the barcode 6931571071929, model number 01202810162, serial number 12402230008-06 and batch number 51006-2P1. Eason Wexford, Gorey and Enniscorthy Recalls Pop Mart branded The Monsters Big Into Energy Vinyl Collectible Dolls (Image: CCPC) Consumers who purchased one of the affected dolls are being advised to stop using it immediately and return it for a refund. The CCPC said: "Consumers should stop using the product immediately. Consumers can return the product to the Eason store in Enniscorthy, Wexford or Gorey for a full refund or email easonswexfordcustomerservices@ to arrange a full refund." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here. For the latest news and breaking news visit Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. Follow us on Twitter @IrishMirror - the official Irish Mirror Twitter account - real news in real time. We're also on Facebook/irishmirror - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Irish Daily Mirror, Irish Sunday Mirror and
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Blame farmers not supermarkets for the rising price of food
Next time you find yourself standing at the supermarket checkout wondering how the handful of items in your basket could possibly cost €50 it should be of some comfort to know that the Government has had a look at the issue and concluded there is nothing untoward going on. It seems that the great supermarket price gouging furore of last May and June is a ball of smoke. Under considerable pressure from the Opposition about 'out of control' food prices the Government asked the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to revisit an analysis of competition in the grocery sector carried out in 2023. The CCPC released its update last Thursday and the message is very much along the lines of nothing to see here. There is no denying that prices have gone up dramatically but the culprits, according to the CCPC, are not fat-cat supermarket bosses. If anything, the State agency comes perilously close to saying the supermarkets have shielded us from the price increases being demanded by that most cherished of Irish social classes, the farmers. No one is saying that competition in the grocery sector is not all that it could be. The five large supermarket chains – Dunnes Stores , Tesco , SuperValu , Lidl and Aldi – have increased their combined market shares slightly to 93 per cent from 91 per cent over the past few years but this varies from month to month according to the CCPC. READ MORE Their current shares are Dunnes Stores (23.6 per cent), Tesco (23.3 per cent), SuperValu (20.2 per cent), Lidl (14 per cent), and Aldi (11.8 per cent). The important issue, according the CCPC is market concentration, which is a measure of a participant's ability to exercise market power and to lower competition. The review found that market concentration in Ireland is decreasing and is currently 1,735 on something called the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI). A market with a HHI score of less than 1,500 is considered competitive, a HHI between 1,500 and 2,500 shows moderate levels of competition and concentration. Competition is increasing, they argue, with Aldi, Lidl and Tesco all publicly committed to opening new stores and the continued investment in own brands by all the players. You may not be feeling it but according to the CCPC: 'Overall, the grocery retail sector demonstrates positive signs of competitive dynamics with new products and services and a strong level of competition on price including aggressive marketing to consumers on price offers.' It notes that while we have experienced a 27 per cent increase in prices from 2021 up to June 2025 this is well below the European Union average, which has risen by 35 per cent over the same period. They also note that Ireland's rate of grocery price inflation has been below the EU average for 15 of the past 16 years (every year since the 2008 financial crisis apart from 2024). 'Overall, the high-level inflation figures do not suggest any significant market problems in the Irish grocery retail sector. If anything, the evidence suggests that Irish consumers have experienced significant price benefits compared to European counterparts,' concludes the CCPC. It's not quite 'stop your whinging, you don't know how good you have it', but it's close. It is certainly not what the Government was expecting or wanted to hear. Neither is the assertion that supermarkets are to be lauded for keeping prices down in the face of demands from food producers. 'There is a strong argument to suggest that this benefit [lower than average price inflation] has been influenced by the increased competition in the grocery retail sector discussed above,' the consumer watchdog ventures. The CCPC doesn't get into why farmers are pushing up their prices by more than their costs but the answer is probably the same reason any business would: because they can in a high-inflation environment The CCPC sees two broad reasons for why food prices are going up. The first is simply that Ireland is an expensive place. They cite structural factors in the Irish economy such as higher wages, geographic location and higher costs in construction, legal services and insurance, which push up prices here. The second reason is that food producers are increasing their margins. 'We can see that up until 2024, agricultural output prices largely tracked agricultural input prices. But in the very recent period, agricultural output prices have shown a strong increase compared to agricultural input prices,' according to the CCPC. It notes that agricultural output prices rose by 19.3 per cent during 2024, well above the EU average of 2.6 per cent for the same period. 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Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
Louth TD criticises regulator's ‘clean bill of health' for supermarkets amid soaring grocery prices
Labour's Ged Nash said he was skeptical at the verdict of the Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), which ruled the big Irish food retailers are no more or no less profitable than comparable EU supermarket chains. Irish supermarkets do not publish their profits publicly, but the Drogheda TD and his party have recently sponsored a private members' bill in the Dáil forcing the Irish supermarkets to do so. He demanded that his new bill be enacted so data on their profits is revealed publicly and for the government to order the CCPC to carry out an in-depth study of the Irish grocery market in the interests of transparency. Deputy Nash said: "Given the limited reliable data that is publicly available on supermarket profits, it is a big stretch for the CCPC to definitely claim that the Irish arms of global retailers are no more or less profitable than their EU counterparts. This is a peculiar conclusion to reach under the circumstances. "This is exactly why Labour's Unfair Pricing Bill, which could compel operators to share data on profit margins with the CCPC so they can undertake more robust market analysis and surveillance to ensure competition is working and consumers are treated fairly, must be enacted by the government. "Because the CCPC says that current prices in Ireland are in line with other EU countries is little comfort to hard-pressed Irish households where salaries are not rising as quickly as prices. "We need to get a better understanding of why prices for the basics in Ireland have remained high for so long; why they are not coming down and why there is only moderate competition with no new, major entrants in 25 years. "This report does not have the answers and it reveals in stark relief how limited the actual functions of the CCPC are. "Farmers have the Agri-Food Regulator to stand up for their interests, while the limited interest the government has in how competition and consumer protection works in the interest of citizens and small retailers means citizens are left to suck up high prices."
