Parents told to push for uniform sale competition

Parents have been told to use their power to persuade schools not to restrict the sale of uniforms to just one shop after the Competition Authority forced a manufacturer to supply a second retailer with one school’s uniform.

Although this case centred on the maker, the authority says it found that many schools are still allowing one shop to exclusively supplying their uniforms.

Despite Department of Education interventions on the issue, dozens of complaints are received by the Competition Authority each year, prompting it to recommend a year ago that schools allow a number of retailers supply them.