Bulgaria's competition watchdog has fined Kaufland Bulgaria a total of €75,653,706 for unfair practices towards Bulgarian food producers.

On 28 October the Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) said it would decide within about 10 days on one of its two cases against big retail chains. The other case is against Maxima Bulgaria, which runs the T Market chain.

More on this story: Competition watchdog to rule within 10 days on one of two cases against retail chains

The CPC ordered Kaufland to stop the practices at once. If it does not, the law allows a further fine of up to 5% of the chain's average daily total turnover for the previous financial year, for each day it fails to comply.

The CPC found three violations, committed in 2026. The biggest fine, €31,854,192, is for unfairly deducting payments for services the chain provides to suppliers from the prices it pays them.

The other two fines are €21,899,757 each. One is for pressuring suppliers to cut their prices. The other is for obstructing suppliers who asked for higher prices. The CPC says Kaufland dragged out and delayed their talks in bad faith.

The CPC says Kaufland used its stronger position in negotiations and put its own interests ahead of those of producers. The size of the fines reflects how serious the violations were and how long they lasted, as well as the harm to the suppliers affected.

The CPC began its study of the food market in June 2025 and covered the whole supply chain, from producer to retailer. In December 2025 it found structural problems: the strong positions of the big chains and producers' growing dependence on them.

The CPC called on retailers to regulate themselves and change how they deal with suppliers. It then kept watching the market and says there were attempts to get around the bans, as well as new forms of unfair practice. In May 2026 it opened the two cases. The inquiry and evidence gathering against Kaufland took more than five months.

The decision can be appealed within 14 days to the Administrative Court of Sofia Region.