Consumer Advocate Files Antitrust Complaint in Israel over Chocolate Prices

The consumer group Emun Hazibur has reportedly filed a complaint with
Israel’s antitrust authority alleging that The Strauss Group, ranked second
among food manufacturers in the country, is exploiting its 63 percent share
of the chocolate market by overcharging customers. The group and several
others apparently compared the company’s prices to leading brands in other
markets and found some Strauss products about one-third more expensive.
According to a news source, Strauss called some of the data inaccurate and
indicated that it had recently reduced prices on 50 of its core products. It
also apparently claimed that final customer prices are set by retailers. Israel’s
antitrust authority reportedly determined several years ago that Strauss-Elite
illegally manipulated the market to hinder the sale of imported chocolate
from Britain. See Haaretz.com, February 27, 2012; Confectionerynews.com,
February 29, 2012.