THREE major retailers have been ordered to pay €1,000 to charity over pricing breaches during the winter sales season.
Lifestyle Sports, DID Electrical Appliances, and Rath-Wood Home and Garden World are the first firms to be prosecuted over new pricing legislation.
All three pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court today and were slapped with the penalties by Judge Anthony Halpin.
The companies were told to pay €1,000 to Little Flower Penny Dinners and were also ordered to pay the costs of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, which took the case.
The prosecutions were brought by the CCPC following online sweeps conducted over the 2023-2024 winter sales season, including Black Friday.
These are the first prosecutions under new sales pricing legislation introduced in 2022.
The new law requires traders to base any discount on the lowest price in at least the previous 30 days, and to display this price clearly on any price tag or advertisement.
A number of other traders have been investigated and further prosecutions may follow.
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.”
The CCPC is the statutory body responsible for enforcing and promoting compliance with competition, consumer protection and product safety law.
These prosecutions were launched in late November 2024.
Generally, traders in Ireland are free to set and change their prices for goods and services; however, they must display their prices clearly and in a way that is not misleading.
Clear and accurate pricing allows consumers to compare prices and to make informed choices before they make a purchase, according to the CCPC.
Where traders fail to display prices clearly and accurately, or otherwise mislead consumers, the CCPC can and will take enforcement action up to and including prosecution.
