The Ministry of Industry and Trade will allow marketplaces not to buy food products

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation (Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia) wants to allow marketplaces of retail chains not to buy food products from sellers. This was announced on November 19 by Sergey Lobanov, acting head of the Department of the Ministry for the Development of Domestic Trade.

"Currently, intermediary agreements are prohibited for retail chains. They must buy back all food items from suppliers as property. And if the marketplace is part of the same group as the retail chain, it also cannot use agency schemes for the sale of food products. We propose to lift the ban and allow the conclusion of intermediary contracts for the sale of food products on our own electronic platform," said a representative of the ministry.

Oleg Pavlov, head of the Public Council at Rospotrebnadzor, supported the initiative, noting that it would align the competitive conditions of marketplaces with retail chains. However, the expert also pointed out the risks: switching to agency schemes may complicate the process of defending rights for consumers and affect product quality.

"When the product is sold not by the owner himself, but according to an agency scheme, the responsibility is somewhat blurred," Oleg Pavlov explained.

The era of contracts: retail has proposed to create an institution of self-regulation

The Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed to create an institute for self-regulation in trade

On November 19, Sergey Lobanov announced that the Ministry of Industry and Trade intends to strengthen control over marketplaces. The ministry considers it important to resolve the problem of forcing sellers to participate in promotions and sales on the platform — the impact on the pricing of the seller of goods.

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