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NEW DELHI: A Hyderabad district consumer commission has dismissed a complaint against Shoppers Stop over a Rs 10 paper carry bag charge and imposed Rs 10,000 exemplary costs on the complainant for filing what it termed a false and frivolous case. The commission directed Rs 5,000 to be paid to the retailer and the remaining Rs 5,000 to be deposited in the Consumer Welfare Fund. The order was passed on August 31, 2026.
Why did the consumer approach the commission?According to the commission order, Suresh Kumar Amruthaluri purchased clothes from Shoppers Stop on March 10, 2025, for Rs 1,609. He was charged Rs 10 for a customized paper carry bag along with Rs 1.52 as GST at 18 percent.
Amruthaluri alleged that the retailer had failed to properly describe the carry bag on the invoice and had violated labelling requirements under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011. He also alleged that Shoppers Stop charged different prices for carry bags of different sizes across its stores.
He sought Rs 4 crore from the retailer, with 90 percent to be used for modernising consumer courts and 10 percent as compensation to him for mental agony, court expenses and for bringing the alleged violation to the commission's notice.
The retailer opposed the complaint and claimed that the carry bag was optional. It said the complainant was informed that the bag was chargeable and voluntarily chose to purchase it. The commission found that the retailer had displayed information about the carry bag charges at different locations in the store. “It is admitted fact that the complainant Purchased garments on 10-03-2025 vide Invoice No.
1015401824011536 for a total amount of Rs. 1,609/- (Rupees One-thousand six-hundred and nine only) including a carry bag charge of Rs. The commission also noted that Amruthaluri had earlier purchased clothes from the same retailer on August 20, 2023, and had paid Rs 13 for a carry bag. The commission said the earlier case showed that he was aware that Shoppers Stop charged separately for carry bags.
The commission also considered the retailer's claim that customers were informed about the charges before purchasing a carry bag. The commission directed that Rs 5,000 of the costs be paid to Shoppers Stop and the remaining Rs 5,000 be deposited in the Consumer Welfare Fund account maintained by the commission.
