Five European Retail Alliances (ERAs) now control around €840 billion in purchasing power — 60% of the EU’s grocery procurement market. While originally created to improve efficiency through joint purchasing, their scale and opaque practices are increasingly raising red flags among national regulators.
A new AIM briefing warns that some alliances exploit gaps between national rules on unfair trading practices (UTPs) by establishing headquarters in jurisdictions with limited or no oversight — a tactic known as forum shopping. This allows cross-border pressure on suppliers that no single authority can effectively monitor, reducing consumer choice and straining supply chains.
Authorities in France, Germany, Italy, and Belgium have all reported concerns about such alliances’ potential impact on prices, competition and legal compliance.
To ensure fair competition and protect both suppliers and consumers, AIM calls for two key reforms:
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Remove the €350 million turnover threshold in the UTP Directive and extend its scope to all consumer goods.
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Mandate structured cooperation and information-sharing between national UTP enforcement authorities for ERA cases.
These changes would help create a more level playing field and reinforce trust in Europe’s Single Market.
