150,000 Euro Fine for False Discount Promises

Italy’s largest online wine retailer Tannico must pay a fine of 150,000 Euros for false claims about discounts. The Consumer Protection Authority “Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato” (AGM) has proven that Tannico offered several supposedly discounted wines in the previous 30 days at a lower or even lesser price. AGM described the discounts on Tannico’s website and app as misleading and incomplete. Thus, Tannico violated Italian rules on the transparency of discounts. The shop currently promises on its website “Crazy Discounts, Incredible Value for Money, and Big Brands at Special Prices.”.

According to its own statements, Tannico is Italy’s leading digital wine retailer and achieved a turnover of 60 million Euros in 2024. Just in October, the company was acquired by the French wine group Castel-Frères from the owners Campari Group and LVMH. Castel-Frères, based in Bordeaux, is one of the largest French wine companies. It owns 23 wineries in France, the wine retail chain Nicolas with around 500 branches, and the online wine retailer Vinatis. The violation of discount regulations occurred until mid-July 2025 and thus before the acquisition by Castel-Frères.

(al)