February 4 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) said on Monday that it has imposed a 15 million levs ($8.8 million/7.7 million euro) fine on retailer Metro Cash and Carry Bulgaria over illegal comparative advertising.
Metro Cash and Carry is obliged to halt the advertising campaign and announce the regulator's decision in two national dailies, the CPC said in a statement.
The probe was launched following a complaint submitted by local competitor Lidl Bulgaria. Metro Cash and Carry's campaign discredits and tarnishes the reputation of Lidl Bulgaria, and gives the company a possibility to benefit from Lidl's popularity and its practice to hold "thematic weeks", CRC said.
The fine is equal to 2% of Metro Cash and Carry Bulgaria's annual turnover in 2017.
Metro Cash and Carry Bulgaria is a wholly-owned unit of Dutch-registered Metro Cash and Carry International Holding, and is part of German retail group Metro Cash and Carry.
Metro Cash and Carry Bulgaria operates 11 stored across nine of the country's major cities.
Lidl, a global discount supermarket chain which is part of Germany's Schwarz-Gruppe, entered the Bulgarian market in 2010. Lidl Bulgaria operates stores in 46 cities.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)