CCPC launches probe into potential price-fixing of small appliances

Competition and Consumer Protection Commission chair Brian McHugh. The CCPC conducted an unannounced inspection at the premises of an Irish-based distributor in June 2025 as part of this investigation. File photo

The competition authority has launched an investigation into anti-competitive behaviour in the small electric appliances sector over issues relating to potential price controls on resold items.

The investigation relates to a suspected re-sale price maintenance (RPM) arrangement between a manufacturer, a distributor, and multiple retailers operating in Ireland.

Under these kinds of arrangements, suppliers seek to control the price at which a product is re-sold, preventing the retailer from setting their own prices, potentially restricting competition and harming consumers.

The agreement may specify a fixed or minimum re-sale price or a specified minimum margin, decided by the supplier.

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The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) conducted an unannounced inspection at the premises of an Irish-based distributor in June 2025 as part of this investigation.

In collaboration with the German Competition Authority (Bundeskartellamt), an unannounced inspection was also carried out at the premises of a manufacturer located in Germany in November 2025.

The CCPC has also sought information from several retailers in Ireland.

Independent adjudication officers of the CCPC may impose financial sanctions on a business which has been found to have breached competition law.