The Yerevan City chain of supermarkets in Yerevan has been fined 17.6 million drams ($36,264) for discriminatory selling practices.

Armenia’s State Commission for the Protection of the Economic Competition found that the supermarket chain, the largest in Armenia, created barriers for two butter producers by selling their product at higher prices and in smaller quantities in its stores during the period July 2018-April 2020.

Yerevan City is owned by former Republican Party of Armenia MP Samvel Aleksanyan.

Aleks and Holding LLC, a company owned by Aleksanyan’s cousin, Hrachya Sharoyan, was issued a warning for engaging in discriminatory practices in the wholesale butter market.

Samvel Aleksanyan is better known as “Lifik Samo” (Russian for bra - Samvel's father had a bra shop in Soviet times).