The Polish competition authority, UOKiK, has taken action against Zalando and Temu, imposing fines of approximately 37 million PLN for misleading promotional practices. Consumers were not adequately informed about the lowest price from the previous 30 days before discounts, violating consumer rights.

UOKiK's President, Tomasz Chróstny, emphasized that the lowest price from the last 30 days is a mandatory element of discount information and serves as a reference point for calculating the discount amount. This requirement was introduced with the implementation of the Omnibus Directive in 2023, and UOKiK has been monitoring compliance since then.

In the case of Zalando, it was found that even months after the directive's implementation, customers could not verify the actual discounts due to the absence of the lowest price information on the platform. Zalando manipulated the lowest price to create an illusion of larger discounts, leading to consumer complaints about deceptive pricing practices.

Similarly, Temu, a major shopping platform, was also found to be non-compliant. UOKiK's analysis revealed that Temu did not consistently provide the lowest price from the last 30 days, leaving consumers unaware of the actual discount. The authority noted various inconsistencies in how discounts were presented across different sections of the platform.

UOKiK has mandated that both companies rectify their practices and ensure accurate information regarding discounts is provided to consumers. The fines imposed are subject to appeal, and UOKiK continues to investigate other companies for similar violations.