Call for retail ombudsman to look into competition

CONSUMER representatives have called for the establishment of a retail ombudsman and national grocery website in the wake of a report showing a slowdown in competition among supermarkets.

In the wake of calls for even larger retailers to be allowed flood the Irish market, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has also called for a government-appointed consumer watchdog to be disbanded.

A National Consumer Agency (NCA) report this week found that despite a 14% reduction in supermarket prices since January 2009, there was little difference in the cost of many branded goods in large stores.