The Commerce Commission has launched an inquiry into Countdown supermarkets after more complaints it may be misleading shoppers with false "specials".

The Progressive Enterprises supermarket chain was accused of labelling products with "special" tags when there were no price deductions last month.

Complaints arose after four varieties of dog food at Countdown in Lower Hutt had a blank space under the section marked "savings". Prices for the products were the same as the non-promotional price.

The Dominion Post also found several products, including Mainland Cheese and Charlie's Juice, with similar tags in a Countdown store in Johnsonville.

Several more complaints to the Commerce Commission since have led it to open an investigation under the Fair Trading Act.

Consumer NZ chief executive Sue Chetwin said she hoped it would see Countdown "wake up" and stop misleading its shoppers.

She did not believe the false specials were an isolated case.

A spokesman for Progressive Enterprises, Luke Schepen, last month said the company put the incorrect price tags down to isolated "simple human errors".

The special price was entered incorrectly in the system and was not picked up in-store for the dog food at Lower Hutt.

Johnsonville Countdown should have used its standard shelf ticket for the cheese and juice cases, he said.

A Countdown spokeswoman said the company had not been advised of any formal inquiry as of yesterday, but would co-operate.

Contact Jody O'Callaghan

Consumer affairs, and Attractions and Events reporter

Email: jody.o'callaghan@dompost.co.nz

Twitter: @miss_jodyo