JD Sports has received a fine of approximately £1.5 million for fixing the price of counterfeit Rangers football jerseys and other merchandise, along with another company, Elite Sports and Rangers.
The UK’s competition regulator on Tuesday imposed fines of £2m on the three companies as a result of its investigation, after it published a draft penalty notice in June.
The investigation is one of two investigations by the Competition and Markets Authority into JD Sports into soccer jersey prices.
The CMA said on Tuesday that JD and Elite had violated competition law by setting retail prices for a number of Rangers-branded replica sets and other apparel products from September 2018 through July 2019. JD1.49 million and Elite hit with a fine of £459,000.
“None of the directors or senior management of JD was implicated in the offending behavior that occurred in 2018-2019,” the group said in a statement. “JD has taken a number of steps to enhance its competition compliance program and is committed to ensuring that this is incorporated into its day-to-day operations.”
Rangers FC was also involved in the alleged collusion, but specifically in connection with the retail price reform of adult short-sleeved home counterfeit T-shirts, between September 2018 to mid-November 2018.
The three groups sought to prevent JD Sports from reducing the retail price of the jersey at Elite’s Gers Online. Rangers were fined £225,000. The CMA said the penalties were reduced because the three groups admitted to acting illegally.
“At a time when many people are concerned about the rising cost of living, it is important that football fans can take advantage of competitively priced merchandise,” said Michael Grenfell, CMA’s Executive Director of Law Enforcement. “Instead, Elite, JD Sports and, to some extent, Rangers, worked together to keep prices high.”
The competition regulator is also looking into whether Leicester City Football Club and JD Sports have breached competition law in connection with the sale of Leicester City-branded kits and merchandise, along with their subsidiaries. Have not yet reached a conclusion.
