The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCP) has reopened a popular Abuja supermarket, Sahad Stores, after its temporary closure.
The commission sealed the store for a lack of transparency in the way it was fixing prices for products last Friday, February 16.
The commission announced the reopening on Friday in a statement signed by the Acting Executive Vice Chairman, Adamu Abdullahi: “On February 16, 2024, FCCPC operatives visited Sahad Stores and confirmed through random checks that the deceptive practice did not only continue, but cashiers also charged prices at their discretion, leaving unsuspecting customers vulnerable to unfair pricing.
“Exercising its authority under Section 18(f), the Commission temporarily sealed the premises. However, following a mutual understanding and commitment from Sahad Stores to implement transparent pricing practices, the FCCPC reopened the store on February 16, 2024, at about 7 p.m.”
Read Also:
The FCCPC urged businesses “to display transparent pricing information to empower consumers to make informed purchasing decisions, especially during challenging economic times,” while stating its commitment to “combating all forms of exploitative or misleading practices that undermine consumer rights.”
The commission recalled that it began investigating Sahad Stores following reports of misleading pricing practices on January 8.
“The investigation revealed that Sahad Stores displayed lower prices on shelves and charged higher prices at checkout, contravening Section 115 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018.
“The investigation included all Sahad Stores branches in Abuja to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the issue and implement corrective measures across the entire chain.”
The statement added that the commission “promptly issued a summons to specific Sahad Stores staff, asking them to appear on February 12, 2024, to discuss corrective measures,” noting that “the staff failed to appear without justification, raising concerns about potential violations under Section 33(3) of the FCCPA.”
