[Photo: FILE]

The Consumer Council of Fiji has warned retailers against illegal conditional selling after confirming that some supermarkets required customers to buy other groceries before purchasing sugar.

The warning comes amid limited sugar supplies in some stores, prompting the Council to urge consumers to remain calm and avoid panic buying.

Chief Executive Seema Shandil says they’ve received complaints against two supermarkets that allegedly imposed minimum spend requirements of $40 and $10 on unrelated groceries before allowing sugar purchases.

A subsequent snap survey and mystery shopping exercise by the Council confirmed the practice.

Shandil says that while some retailers defended the measures as a way to ensure fair distribution and discourage hoarding, she stresses that forcing consumers to buy unrelated items to access an essential product is unacceptable and constitutes illegal conditional selling.

She clarified that while retailers may impose reasonable purchase limits during shortages – subject to regulatory approval – they cannot require additional purchases.

Shandil explains that the current shortages are temporary and largely driven by panic buying.

“While we understand retailers want to ensure fair distribution, forcing everyday shoppers to spend on unrelated items just to buy a bag of sugar is highly unethical and strictly illegal. We urge bulk buyers to leave enough stock for ordinary households, and we warn retailers that we will not tolerate exploitative conditional selling.”

The Council warned that retailers engaging in these practices will face swift enforcement action.

Meanwhile, consumers are encouraged to buy only what they need, as stockpiling places unnecessary pressure on supply chains and creates artificial shortages.