Italy’s antitrust agency said on Wednesday, December 6, it had fined Unilever’s Italian unit more than €60 million ($71 million) for abusing its dominant position in the country’s ice cream market.
The competition authority said that after a complaint launched by a small popsicle maker called “La Bomba¨ their investigation found that Unilever’s clients were “obliged or incentivised” to maintain only one brand of ice-cream in their shops through arrangements struck with the company.
The local unit of the world’s biggest ice cream maker said in a statement it rejected the agency’s conclusion and would appeal.
La Bomba, based in the seaside town of Rimini, said Unilever had struck deals with operators of beach resort, bars and campsites to exclusively sell the bigger firm’s ice creams.
Full Content: Financial Times
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