Overview
- Japan’s Fair Trade Commission began an on-site inspection of Luxottica Japan on November 19 on suspicion of Antimonopoly Act violations.
- Officials are probing whether retailers were pressed to sell Ray-Ban and Oakley products at or above suggested prices and to limit discounts beyond set thresholds.
- Investigators are also looking into reports that sellers were asked to delay online sales of new items for several months.
- Resale price maintenance is banned as an unfair trade practice in Japan because it can suppress price competition and raise costs for consumers.
- Ray-Ban and Oakley are owned by Italy’s Luxottica Group, which was sanctioned by French authorities in 2021, and the inquiry aligns with Japan’s recent scrutiny of high-end brands’ anti-discount practices.