The Polish competition authority, through the Trade Inspection, conducted a thorough review of pricing practices across various businesses, including retail stores and service providers. Inspectors evaluated over 460,000 products from 3,026 establishments, revealing significant non-compliance with pricing regulations.

According to the findings, approximately 1,462 businesses, or nearly half of those inspected, did not properly inform consumers about prices. This included a lack of any price information for 13% of the products checked, leaving consumers unaware of costs before making purchases.

Inspections highlighted that many businesses failed to display unit prices, which are essential for consumers to compare products effectively. Additionally, promotional pricing was often misleading, with businesses not providing the lowest price from the previous 30 days, which is necessary to validate claims of discounts.

As a result of these violations, the Trade Inspection imposed financial penalties totaling over 1.2 million PLN on 899 businesses. The authority emphasized the importance of clear and final pricing, including all taxes, and the obligation to provide unit prices for better consumer understanding.

Consumers are encouraged to report any pricing irregularities they encounter, as the Trade Inspection continues its efforts to ensure compliance and protect consumer rights.