The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has announced that a group of UK retailers are suing Amazon for damages.
The retailers claim that Amazon misused their data thus pushing them out of the market which inflated profits.
The claim is for damages up to £1.1 billion and the group have filed an application and a specialist London tribunal today, Bira said that this is the largest collective of action that has ever been by retailers.
It has been alleged that Amazon UK illegally used data of competitive online sellers to then market similar products from rivals for a much lower price.
The alleged illegal use of data was mainly between 2015 and 2023 which was prior to the new European Commission rules started.
Law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher are representing Bira and if the claim is successful then it is estimated that Amazon may be forced to pay damages of up to £1.1 billion.
Andrew Goodacre, Bira’s chief executive said, “As a result, for small retailers with limited resources, Amazon is the marketplace to start online trading.
“The British public has a strong relationship with its local, independent retailers and ensuring they are not put out of business by Amazon’s illegal actions is a key driving force behind this collective action.
“This is a watershed moment for UK retailers, but especially for small independent retailers in this country.”
