The Croatian retail chain Tommy recently found itself at the center of public attention after the Agency for the Protection of Market Competition (AZTN) imposed a fine of 212 thousand euros due to a special promotional campaign for pensioners.

Namely, Tommy offered pensioners a 10 percent discount on their total purchase, and that discount also applied to already discounted products. According to AZTN's interpretation, certain items were thereby sold below the purchase price, which is prohibited in Croatia by the Act on the Prohibition of Unfair Trading Practices, since this is how small producers are protected and market balance is preserved, writes N1.

Despite the fine, Tommy stated that the promotional campaign did not harm either the market or the competition and that they bore all the costs themselves. “The promotional campaign was exclusively our burden. Customers were enabled to shop more affordably, and neither the market nor our partners were harmed by it,” the company states.

At the same time, the Croatian party Pensioners Together Bloc (BUZ) publicly supported such solidarity actions for pensioners, emphasizing that every form of relief in difficult times has immeasurable significance. “The law did not recognize the importance of the social dimension of such actions. In a time of inflation and poverty, every help has value, especially for those with the lowest incomes. In the case of pensioners, even a 10 percent discount can significantly affect the household budget,” BUZ emphasizes.

In conclusion, BUZ calls for a review of legal solutions in order to ensure a balance between the protection of market conditions and the real needs of the most vulnerable groups in Croatia, with the message: “Solidarity must not be punishable”.