Giant Eagle accuses chocolatiers of price fixing - Tribune-Review

With control of the chocolate market concentrated in the hands of so few companies, and the technical difficulties of entering the market and merchandising new products, "the chocolate candy product market was ripe for collusion," Giant Eagle claims.

The supermarket chain contends the three suppliers increased average prices 16 percent from December 2004 to March 2005, even though there was no evidence of increases in raw material prices.

Hershey and Nestle raised their candy prices by an average of 11.7 percent this year, Giant Eagle said.

The suit cites a 2007 investigation by the Canadian Competition Bureau, which claimed Nestle, Hershey and Mars conspired to fix prices in Canada. Canadian authorities said an informant described meetings among top food executives that led to the price fixing.