Polish watchdog says Jeronimo Martins' Polish unit misled customers

(Reuters) -Poland's consumer watchdog said on Tuesday that the Polish unit of Portuguese retailer Jeronimo Martins, owner of the Biedronka supermarket chain, had misled customers over its pricing and promotional campaigns.

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) alleges that the company used confusing multi-buy promotions, calculated discounts from a regular price rather than the lowest price in the last 30 days as required by law, and displayed legally required price information in an unreadable font.

The watchdog's action follows an investigation into compliance with the European Union's Omnibus Directive, which aims to prevent retailers from artificially inflating prices before announcing a sale.

"Price is a key factor for consumers, and they need clear information to make a conscious and rational decision," UOKiK President Tomasz Chrostny said in a statement.

In an emailed statement to Reuters, Jeronimo Martins Polska said it was ready for "constructive dialogue with the president of UOKiK to work out a satisfactory solution for all."

"The Omnibus Directive is a relatively new legal regulation, and practices for presenting promotional prices are different on the Polish market and require harmonization," the company added.

If found guilty, the company can face a fine of up to 10% of its annual turnover.

UOKiK noted it is also investigating other major retailers, including Aldi, Lidl, Dino and Zabka, over similar practices.

($1 = 3.6126 zlotys)

(Reporting by Marta Maciag and Julia Kotowska)