JJB blows whistle on suspected cartel

British sportswear chain JJB Sports said today it had blown the whistle on alleged cartel activity in the UK sports retail market.

The company has applied for leniency from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which visited its Wigan offices earlier today.

JJB approached the OFT on January 30 over a “suspected agreement or concerted practice to dampen competition in the sports retail market” between June 8 2007 and March 25 this year – the period former boss Chris Ronnie was at the business.

The company said it took its obligations under UK competition law seriously and is fully co-operating with the OFT investigation.