Three retailers have pleaded guilty to breaching sales pricing legislation, RTÉ reported this week.
The retailers – Lifestyle Sports (Ireland), DID Electrical Appliances and Rathwood Home & Garden World – were ordered at Dublin District Court to pay €1,000 each to the Little Flower Penny Dinners Charity.
They were also ordered to pay the costs of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), which brought the prosecution.
These are the first prosecutions under new sales pricing legislation introduced in 2022 which requires traders to base any discount on the lowest price in at least the previous 30 days and to display this price clearly on a price tag or advertisement.
While these retailers are the first to be prosecuted, the CCPC has said that a number of traders remain under investigation and further prosecutions may follow.
Currently, the maximum fine for offending is €5,000, but the CCPC said changes to the law are needed to give it the power to impose large fines for serious offences.
This may include fines that are a percentage of a business’s turnover, which the CCPC said is a priority.
If these changes come in, it could raise concern for supermarkets and the grocery retail sector.
‘Compete Openly And Honestly’
The prosecutions against Lifestyle Sports, DID Electrical and Rathwood Home & Garden World were brought following online sweeps conducted over the 2023-2024 winter sales season, including Black Friday.
Speaking about the prosecutions, CCPC chair Brian McHugh said, “Misleading sale discounts harm consumers and harm competition.
“It is vital that traders are transparent with consumers, displaying prices clearly and accurately.
“Businesses must be able to compete openly and honestly, and consumers must be able to shop with confidence.”
To the CCPC, DID was required to pay €2,460, Lifestyle €3,567 and Rathwood €3,444.
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