The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) has taken action against Wolt, a food ordering and delivery platform, due to concerns that its contractual terms could restrict competition and lead to market concentration. The investigation, which began in 2022, focused on Wolt's exclusive agreements with restaurants and its price parity clause, both of which were seen as potentially harmful to market dynamics.

Wolt's exclusivity agreements required restaurants to sell exclusively through its platform, which in return offered lower sales commissions and marketing support. The price parity clause mandated that prices on Wolt could not exceed those at the restaurants' own sales points, limiting pricing flexibility for restaurants. This arrangement raised concerns about the potential for Wolt to dominate the market, especially given its significant market share of 70-80% in Finland.

Data analysis conducted by FCCA revealed that these exclusivity agreements led to a notable shift in consumer behavior, with customers more frequently moving from Foodora to Wolt when following restaurants that had exclusive contracts with Wolt. This trend contributed to Wolt's increasing market share, raising alarms about the competitive landscape.

In response to the FCCA's findings, Wolt has agreed to abandon the problematic terms by October 2024. The FCCA is currently assessing the impact of these changes on competition within the market and will publish its findings later this year. The removal of the price parity clause is expected to provide restaurants with greater pricing freedom, allowing them to adjust their prices across different sales channels.

FCCA plans to continue monitoring the digital platform market and will take further action if necessary to ensure fair competition.