The European Commission has imposed fines totalling over €157 million on fashion houses Gucci, Chloé and Loewe for engaging in anticompetitive pricing practices across the European Economic Area (EEA). The Commission’s investigation found that the three companies fixed resale prices by restricting independent third-party retailers from setting their own online and offline prices for products sold under their respective brands.

These restrictions took the form of resale price maintenance (‘RPM’) agreements, preventing retailers from deviating from recommended retail prices, maximum discount rates, and designated sale periods. In some cases, retailers were temporarily prohibited from offering discounts altogether. Gucci, Chloé and Loewe also monitored retail prices to ensure compliance, effectively depriving retailers of their pricing independence and limiting consumer choice.

The infringements lasted from 2015 to 2023, ending when the Commission conducted unannounced inspections at the companies’ premises. Gucci, Chloé and Loewe were found to have acted independently, though many retailers sold products from all three brands. The Commission concluded that these practices constituted a single and continuous infringement of Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement.

The fines were determined under the Commission’s 2006 Guidelines, taking into account the gravity, duration and geographic scope of the infringements, as well as each company’s cooperation. Gucci and Loewe received 50% reductions for providing valuable evidence, while Chloé’s fine was reduced by 15%. The final fines amounted to €119.7 million for Gucci, €19.7 million for Chloé, and €18 million for Loewe.

Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera stated that the decision “sends a strong signal to the fashion industry and beyond that we will not tolerate this kind of practices in Europe, and that fair competition and consumer protection apply to everyone, equally”.