Retailers to be questioned about high price of groceries
Representatives from the group that represents independent retailers in Ireland are due before an Oireachtas committee today to answer questions about the prices they charge for their products.
The committee on enterprise and small business is trying to establish why some products, particularly foods, cost significantly more in Ireland than they do in other European countries.
Yesterday, representatives from Tesco and Superquin were questioned about the matter as well as the Groceries Order Act, which bans below-cost selling.
The act was introduced in the 1980s to protect small retailers from being put out of business by the large supermarkets, but it has been blamed in some quarters for keeping prices artificially high.
