CMA agrees settlement with manufacturer of bathroom fittings

On 26 April, the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) announced that Ultra Finishing Limited (“UFL”), a leading manufacturer of bathroom fittings, had agreed to pay a fine of £826,000 under the CMA’s settlement procedures (including a discount conditional on implementing a satisfactory compliance system).  The CMA’s press release is here.

The infringement of the competition rules at issue concerned measures taken by UFL in relation to the pricing of its products on the websites of its online distributors.

The CMA’s press release makes it clear that the CMA is currently focusing on restrictions, such as resale price maintenance and restrictions on advertising discounted prices, that limit the extent of online competition, particularly in consumer products.

George Peretz QC has been advising UFL throughout the investigation.