The British retail group JD Sports Fashion Plc has once again caught up with its inglorious past. On Wednesday, Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found chain JD Sports and football club Leicester City FC guilty of illegal price fixing between 2018 and 2921.
The decision was made following a comprehensive investigation and is currently provisional, the CMA said. The football club and its parent companies King Power International Co. Limited and V & A Holding Co. Limited have already admitted the misconduct and have agreed to pay a fine of up to £880,000 (EUR 1.03 million), it said in a message. The allegations are that JD Sports, in consultation with the club, has restricted the sale of Leicester City replica jerseys and fan articles or deliberately increased the price by charging delivery fees in order to keep the price level high.
According to JD Sports, it does not expect a fine. In a statement published on Wednesday, the group pointed out that in return for its participation in the CMA’s investigations, it had received “full immunity” with regard to possible fines under a leniency program. In addition, no current or previous executives of the company were involved in the processes.
It was not the first time that the retailer had to face relevant allegations. In view of repeated fines from the competition authorities, the group carried out fundamental reforms last year to ensure greater transparency in the company. The long-time CEO Peter Cowgill, during whose tenure the corresponding misconduct occurred, then resigned in June 2022.