Authorities intervene at Polish Allegro, company suspected of market rule violations
Polish authorities have raided Allegro's headquarters in Poznań and its offices in Warsaw over suspicions of violating antitrust laws.
Polish authorities executed searches at Allegro's headquarters in Poznań and its offices in Warsaw amid allegations that the company violated antitrust laws. According to Reuters, the investigation aims to determine whether Allegro has favored its own logistics services over those of competitors, potentially breaching competition rules. Allegro's spokesperson Monika Brichtová clarified that the investigation does not pertain to its Czech operations.
The Polish antitrust office, known as UOKiK, believes that the company's practices may undermine fair market competition by giving preferential treatment to its logistics solutions, disadvantaging rival services. UOKiK's head, Tomasz Chróstny, stated that the suspicions of competition rule violations were significant enough to prompt the agency to seek court permission for the searches.
Allegro operates an online marketplace that facilitates sales for various merchants in the markets it serves. In the Czech Republic, Allegro owns several e-commerce platforms, including Mall.cz and CZC.cz, as well as the courier service One by Allegro. Additionally, in May 2023, the company launched its online marketplace Allegro.cz, further expanding its presence in the region, including a planned entry into Slovakia in 2024.