DALI slapped with show-cause order amid consumer complaints

DALI Everyday Grocery has been slapped with a show-cause order from the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) Consumer Protection Group following numerous complaints lodged against them, including those from advocacy group Malayang Konsyumer.

In a radio interview on Monday, DTI-CPG Undersecretary Amanda Nograles stated that the department had sent a show-cause order to DALI on 29 May 2024, covering 13 instances of complaints by Malayang Konsyumer.

"To date, we have received numerous complaints against DALI, particularly about their erring employees. Also, instances such as a customer mistakenly accused as a shoplifter, that some cashiers are allegedly arrogant and rude were reported to us. These incidents are aside from earlier reports that there are discrepancies in the accuracy of the weight and pricing of chicken sold at DALI, and that ice is intentionally added to the chicken to artificially inflate its weight to one kilogram," Nograles said in Filipino.

Moreover, she said issues on priority lanes given to senior citizens and PWDs are being questioned, making them issue the show-cause order against the local store.

The DALI Branches, which now have more than 300 outlets, that are involved in the said allegations are in Marikina, Rizal, and Paranaque Cities.

According to Nograles, they also sought the help of the Department of the Interior and Local Government covering the localities where Dali has sanitary issues to look into the complaints by the consumers.

Recently, Malayang Konsyumer, a multisectoral consumer policy protection organization, has brought to the attention of the DTI's Fair-Trade Enforcement Bureau the apparent inaction of DALI Everyday Grocery management to address complaints made by its patrons.

Atty. Fhillip Sawali, director of DTI-FTEB, wrote to Atty. Simoun Antonio Salinas, spokesperson of Malayang Konsyumer, who raised the issue with the agency, that the agency will investigate the matter.

If found guilty of the violations under the Consumer Act, the company could face an administrative fine of up to P300,000 and possible sanction of business permit revocation for non-compliance with sanitary regulations in the area of operations, Nograles said.

On its website, it said that DALI Stores is a supermarket type invented in Germany, calling the supermarket type Hard Discount.

DALI Stores sell a limited number of carefully chosen food and non-food products. The products are of high quality and cover everything a household needs every day. Basic food like rice, oil, sauces, snacks or beverages, personal care like soaps and toothpaste, and household items like cleaning products and detergents.

"We operate very efficiently and avoid everything which could potentially increase the sales price of a product. We buy large volumes of each item, we spend very little on advertising and our stores are small and in inexpensive areas. The interior of our DALI Stores is simple and not fancy but always very clean and well organized," the website stated.