Anti-competitive behaviour in relation to the pricing of Rangers FC-branded replica football kit
The CMA has issued an infringement decision after investigating suspected anti-competitive behaviour in relation to the price at which Rangers FC-branded replica football kit was sold in the United Kingdom.
Case timetable
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 25 November 2022 | Publication of non-confidential version of the decision |
| 27 September 2022 | Decision issued and settlement announced |
| 7 June 2022 | Statement of objections issued |
| June 2022 | Investigation into the activities of Greaves Sports Ltd closed on administrative priority grounds |
| April 2022 | Investigation continuing. Further update to be provided by end of June 2022 |
| December 2021 | Investigation into the activities of Hummel A/S closed on administrative priority grounds. Investigation related to remaining parties continuing, including further information gathering. Further update to be provided by March 2022 |
| October 2021 | Investigation continuing, including further information gathering. Further update to be provided by March 2022 |
| September 2021 | Decision taken to proceed with the investigation |
| June 2021 | Investigation continuing (further update by the end of September 2021) |
| December 2020 to June 2021 | Initial investigation: information gathering, including issue of formal and informal information requests to The Rangers Football Club Limited, LBJ Sports Apparel Limited (trading as Elite), Hummel A/S, Greaves Sports Limited and JD Sports Fashion Plc. CMA analysis and review of information gathered |
| December 2020 | Investigation opened |
Non-confidential decision
25 November 2022: The CMA has published a non-confidential version of the decision in this case.
- (25.11.22)
Infringement decision and settlement
On 27 September 2022, the CMA issued a decision finding that Elite Sports, JD Sports and Rangers broke competition law by fixing the retail prices of certain Rangers-branded clothing products. The CMA found that Elite Sports and JD Sports fixed the retail prices of Rangers-branded replica kits and other clothing products, and that Rangers also took part in the collusion, but only to the extent of fixing the retail price of adult home short-sleeved replica shirts.
The CMA imposed fines totalling over £2 million on
- Elite Sports Group Limited and Elite Corporation Limited (together ‘Elite Sports’)
- JD Sports Fashion Plc (‘JD Sports’)
- The Rangers Football Club Limited and Rangers International Football Club Plc (together ‘Rangers’)
The penalties include a settlement discount to reflect resource savings to the CMA generated by the companies’ admissions and their agreement to a streamlined administrative procedure. Elite Sports’ and JD Sports’ penalties also include a discount under the CMA’s Leniency Programme.
- Press release: Firms fined for fixing prices fans pay for Rangers FC merchandise (27.9.22)
Statement of objections
On 7 June 2022, the CMA issued a statement of objections setting out its provisional findings that Elite Sports, JD Sports and Rangers Football Club broke competition law by fixing the retail prices of certain Rangers-branded clothing products. The CMA provisionally found that Elite Sports and JD Sports fixed the retail prices of Rangers-branded replica kits and other clothing products, and that Rangers took part in the alleged collusion only to the extent of fixing the retail price of adult home short sleeved replica shirts.
The statement of objections was addressed to the following parties: Elite Sports Group Limited and its parent company Elite Corporation Limited; JD Sports Fashion Plc; and the Rangers Football Club Limited and its parent company Rangers International Football Club Plc.
- Press release: CMA provisionally finds illegal price-fixing of Rangers FC merchandise (7.6.22)
Case information
The investigation concerns an infringement(s) of Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998 (CA98).
Personal data
The CMA may collect, use and share personal data for its investigations, including investigations under the Competition Act 1998. This includes processing personal data for the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
For more information about how the CMA handles personal information, please see the CMA’s Personal Information Charter.
Contacts
For any enquiries relating to this case, please contact case50930enquiries@cma.gov.uk
Updates to this page
Last updated 25 November 2022 + show all updates
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Non-confidential decision published.
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Infringement decision and settlement published.
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Update added to the page following issue of a statement of objections by the CMA.
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Case timetable updated
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Update to case timetable published.
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Case timetable and change log updated.
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Case timetable updated.
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First published.