Yerevan /Mediamax/. Late March 6, Mediamax agency received an e-mail, signed by the Head of Marketing Department Promotion Division of “Star” supermarket chain Mariam Harutyunyan.

We present the full text of the letter, preserving the orthography and stylistics of the original letter:

“Dear Mr. Tadevosyan!

We address you to solve an issue of importance for us.

Today, “Serious discrepancy between the statements of “Star” and the real prices at the chain stores” article was published at www.banks.am website, referring to Mediamax agency. We invite your attention to the fact that the statements do not correspond to reality and discredit the image of our company for our buyers and all residents of Armenia. 

On 05.03.09, at the moment of spreading the release, prices were increased in our chain only for sugar and imported butter (in the range of 10.12%), as it was noted in our statement.

The situation, described in your article, particularly, the increase of prices for “Taft” products, took place today, 06.03.09. At that, 2 days prior to this, we stated in the press release on 04.03.09 about the decision made to partially increase prices for imported goods, which will be purchased from suppliers at new prices: this is what happened with “Taft” product.

Thus, the fact that all the statements of our leadership and the following actions of our company are absolutely consistent and have nothing in common with the essence of your article, is proved.

Basing on the above-mentioned, we turn to you with the request to publish refutation of today’s article at www.banks.am. Otherwise, we will have to give our own refutation, and this means, we will have to spread information, according to which your news agency has provided doubtful and unchecked information on our chain. We consider the given measure to be utmost and unwanted, in connection with which we hope for your understanding and soon solution of the given situation”.

Mediamax agency notes that the news report referred to is placed at http://banks.am/ru-news-2-3215.html, and invites attention of Mrs. Harutyunyan to the following aspects:

1. Mrs. Harutyunyan did not comment anyhow on the fact that the price tag for Taft styling mousse indicated 1070 AMD, however at the counter the new piece at 1680 AMD was registered. Meanwhile, this fact was the most important point in our report, since it was related to willingly or unwillingly misleading the consumer.

2. Mrs. Harutyunyan did not present any intelligible proofs that the information, brought in the article of Mediamax agency, “discredits the image of Star Company”. We, in our turn, believe that the unfounded statements addressed against Mediamax agency may be considered as being discrediting for the image of our Company. If the good was purchased from suppliers at new prices, the information on the new price should have been indicated on the price tag for the consumer, while choosing the good, to have full and correct information.

3. If Mrs. Harutyunyan sees no discrepancies between the statements of the chain leadership on “efforts for price growth containment” and the abrupt increase of the price for a particular good without the corresponding indication on the price tag of the product, that is her own right. And we have the right to disagree.