A supermarket in Hefei was fined more than 11,000 yuan during the epidemic on a significant increase in the price of vegetables

Read Time:3 Minute, 17 Second

In the end of October last year, Hefei City, Baohe District, Suisong Road and Longtu Road intersection Zizhuyuan Mason fresh supermarket vegetable prices rose sharply on the Internet. February 1, the big Wan News reporter learned from the Baohe District Market Supervision Bureau, the Bureau recently issued a penalty decision, the supermarket’s behavior is suspected to constitute price gouging, decided to give the parties to confiscate the illegal income of 3,479 yuan, and a fine of 8,000 yuan administrative penalty.

Incident review: significant price increases on vegetables during the epidemic were investigated

In late October 2022, a member of the public reflected that the Masonry fresh supermarket at the west gate of Zizhuyuan, Suisong Road, Baohe District, Hefei City, took advantage of the epidemic to increase the price of vegetables significantly, and the overall price exceeded the price of the next supermarket. Subsequently, the law enforcement officers of the Market Supervision Bureau of Baohe District conducted an on-site inspection of the supermarket and extracted the merchandise sales flow in the party’s computer from October 17, 2022 to October 20, 2022. After preliminary sorting by law enforcement officers, the supermarket involved in the price increase of vegetables and fruit varieties on October 20, 2022 as follows: red Fuji (apple), white radish, thin-skinned green pepper, cabbage and other 18 kinds of fruits.

After investigation, Hefei City, Baohe District, Mason occurred fresh supermarket main business is the sale of daily necessities and agricultural and food products. Its operators acknowledged the content reflected by the public, confirming that because there were too many customers buying vegetables during the epidemic, the prices of some vegetables and fruits in the supermarket increased twice on October 20, 2022, with the price adjustment time at 15:00 and 20:00 respectively; the supermarket closed at about 22:00 on that day, and the prices were adjusted back down to the original prices before the price increase on October 20, 2022 after the next day of business.

It is reported that 18 kinds of vegetables and fruits October 20, 2022 purchase and sale price difference rate in the party’s trading premises are higher than the highest purchase and sale price difference rate within 3 days before October 19, 2022 (including that day). According to the calculation, the total amount of the above 18 kinds of vegetables and fruits sold by the party on October 20, 2022 exceeded the price difference rate was 5021.31 yuan, and the profit was 3479.49 yuan, and the illegal income of the case was found to be 3479.49 yuan.

Penalty results: allegedly constitute price gouging was confiscated 11,000 yuan

According to the “administrative penalties for price violations”, the market supervision bureau of Baohe District issued a “refund order notice” to the parties concerned, ordering them to refund the overpaid price of 3479.49 yuan within five days from the date of receipt of this notice.

According to the market supervision bureau of Baohe District, the date of the case was during the epidemic prevention and control period in Hefei City, and the vegetables and fruits were basic commodities for people’s livelihood. In the absence of significant changes in costs, the price difference between the purchase and sale of vegetables and fruits sold by the party exceeded the highest price difference between the purchase and sale of the same variety of vegetables and fruits traded in the trading place in the three days before October 19, 2022 (inclusive).

The above behavior of the parties violates the relevant provisions of the Price Law of the People’s Republic of China, and has constituted the illegal act of price gouging. Should be based on the “Price Law” Article 40, “administrative punishment for price violations” Article 6 (3), decided to order the parties to immediately stop the illegal act of price gouging, and confiscate the illegal income of 3479 yuan, a fine of 8000 yuan of administrative penalties.