Overview

• Which? launched its investigation after readers alerted it to ‘suspicious’ Recommended and Manufacturer Suggested Retail Prices on SportsDirect.com.
• Researchers examined 160 popular items and discovered 58 products were never sold online at or above Sports Direct’s stated reference prices by any other retailer.
• An additional 53 items only reached those price points within Frasers Group brands, raising concerns that corporate ownership may inflate reference prices.
• The Competition and Markets Authority has received Which?’s findings and will assess whether the pricing tactics breach the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
• Sports Direct declined to comment on the allegations and Which? legal expert Lisa Webb urged shoppers to compare prices elsewhere before relying on advertised discounts.