The Danish competition authority, Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen, is conducting meetings with the largest grocery chains to gain deeper insights into the pricing mechanisms and promotional strategies within the grocery market. Director Jakob Hald emphasized the importance of understanding how digital tools, such as algorithms, influence pricing and the negotiation power of grocery chains.

This initiative is part of a market study aimed at promoting effective competition in the grocery sector, ultimately benefiting consumers. It is important to note that these meetings are not based on any presumption of violations of competition law.

The authority has been monitoring price developments since August 2022, noting that food prices in Denmark have increased less than in comparable countries from early 2022 to September 2024. The gross margin in retail fell significantly in 2022 due to high inflation but has since increased, albeit to a lower level than before 2022.

In August 2024, Norway's competition authority imposed fines totaling 4.9 billion Norwegian kroner on grocery chains for coordinated practices involving price scanning. While the Danish authority has been following this case, it has not found evidence of similar behavior in Denmark.

Over the years, the Danish competition authority has focused on competition within the grocery sector, intervening in several major mergers and analyzing the impact of pricing algorithms on competition, which is particularly relevant for the grocery industry.