Competition regulator accuses Casio of preventing price discounts

Britain's competition watchdog has accused electronics giant Casio of illegally preventing price discounts today.

Casio was provisionally found to have broken competition law by "restricting retailer freedom to discount online" by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) this morning.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a statement of objections to Casio Electronics which, as part of its business, supplies digital pianos and keyboards to UK retailers.

The CMA has provisionally decided that Casio implemented a policy designed to restrict retailers’ freedom to set their own prices online between 2013 and 2018, "requiring them to sell at – or above – a minimum price, and so preventing them from offering price discounts".

Ann Pope, the CMA’s senior director of antitrust, said: "Companies that sell online can bring many benefits to people who are looking for more choice, convenience and lower prices."

Pope added: "That’s why it’s important that online retailers are free to sell at the prices they see fit. We take allegations of online resale price maintenance seriously because it can lead to higher prices and limit choice for customers."

Tim Gould, deputy managing director of Casio Electronics, said that Casio was fully cooperating with the CMA and supporting its team with their investigation.

He added: "A statement of objections is not a finding of any wrongdoing but a document in which the CMA sets out its provisional view that conduct under investigation amounts to an infringement. It would therefore be too early to comment further at this stage."