NOS News••Amended
The European Commission has launched an investigation into whether Red Bull has unfairly limited competition in the energy drinks market.
The Commission says it has indications that Red Bull has developed a strategy to limit the sale of competitors’ cans larger than 250 ml in supermarkets and gas stations, among others. In the press release that the EC issued today, the Netherlands is explicitly mentioned as a country where the energy drink manufacturer may have exhibited “anti-competitive behavior“.
Dominant position
“Red Bull appears to have a dominant position here on the wholesale market for branded energy drinks,” the Commission said. The manufacturer would give advantages to retailers not to sell or to make less visible competing drinks larger than 250 ml.
According to the Commission, Red Bull focuses mainly on energy drinks “sold by a close competitor”. It is not mentioned which energy drink brand this concerns.
Raids
The announcement follows unannounced raids that the commission carried out on Red Bull’s headquarters in Austria in 2023. A Red Bull spokesperson told NOS that it does not wish to comment on ongoing procedures.
Red Bull is the global market leader in energy drinks. The company sold 12.67 billion cans worldwide in 2024 and employs 19,973 people.
