ROMANIA: The Competition Council is working with Nielsen and GS1 on the Price Monitor | Progresiv

The Competition Council announced that it involved in the Price Monitor project the market research company Nielsen Romania and the non-profit institution GS1, and more than half of large retail chains have already agreed to report price lists. So far the competition authority had several working meetings with all parties concerned, to establish the methodology of this monitoring.

"This Monitors will work as an online platform managed by the Competition Council in partnership with GS1, on the technical side, and collaborate with market research agency Nielsen. The retailers will transmit electronically the prices of selected products", said Daniela Badila, Director of the Consumer Goods Division of the Competition Council (CC). She also said that so far, most large retail chain (IKA) have accepted to get involved in the Price Monitor by providing the data required by CC. "We are in discussions now with 80% of the large food retail chains from the market and we believe that, ultimately, all of them will get involved in the project", said Badila.

The pilot phase will target only the stores in the Capital, operated by large modern trade chains, but the intention is to extend the coverage in the future.

Regarding the monitored shopping basket, Daniela Badila said that at the moment are taken into account about 70 food categories, and from each of them 3-4 products will be selected based on the highest incidence in local consumption, including retailers' private labels.