The heads of major banks, including Sber, VTB, T-Bank, Alfa-Bank, and Sovcombank, have proposed restricting marketplaces' access to price reductions on goods. They wrote a letter to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.
We believe it is advisable to prohibit operators of intermediary platforms (marketplaces) from investing in reducing the prices of goods, extending the ban to both direct discounts and promotions, as well as indirect forms of financing (bonus programs, returns, marketing subsidies.
Bankers are convinced that discounts should not depend on specific electronic payment methods. According to them, the countries of the European Union have already established restrictions on anti-competitive subsidies and price manipulations.
The press service of the united company Wildberries and Russ stated that the banks' initiative could lead to an increase in prices for goods by 15–20%. It is emphasized that more than 80 million Russians use marketplaces, and the negative consequences of canceling discounts will affect everyone.
The press service of Ozon also negatively assessed the banks' proposal.
Prices will definitely rise, and this is critical for people. The use of discounts, bonuses, and loyalty programs is a favorite tool of banks, which they exploit very actively. It is unclear why, by prohibiting it to marketplaces, it is necessary to significantly worsen the lives of tens of millions of residents of the country, as well as hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs.
