The Turkish competition authority has imposed antitrust measures against Coca-Cola Sales and Distribution Inc. (CCSD), requiring it to allocate 35% of the space in its branded refrigerators to competitors.
„It has been decided that 35% of the capacity of CCSD's soft drink refrigerators located at points of sale will be available for competing products. The presence of a branded refrigerator specifically designed for Coca-Cola beverages at the point of sale will not prevent the application of this rule“, the regulator's decision said.
The authority explained that physically “35% of the usable space inside the refrigerator will be divided vertically by partitions and this section will be reserved for competitive products“. “Each shelf in the vertically divided area will have labels indicating that this area is intended for competitive products and that CCSD products are not permitted there.“ The rule applies separately to each of the company's refrigeration units at the point of sale, if there are several.
The regulator also imposed a number of restrictions on Coca-Cola's ability to offer discounts on the purchase and sale of its soft drinks, which should make it easier for competing products to reach customers.
In May, the regulator opened an investigation into Unilever's Turkish subsidiary and Magnum Dondurma, one of the largest ice cream producers, on suspicion of violating antitrust law. Following the investigation, the company was ordered to provide 30% of its refrigeration capacity in retail outlets with an area of 100 sq m or less to other manufacturers that do not have their own refrigeration units.
The council had previously imposed similar measures on a large crisps producer. The requirements also applied to the provision of shelf space to competing brands.