The French Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) has issued a €2.3 million fine against the online fashion retailer Boohoo. The penalty follows an investigation into the company’s promotional practices, which concluded that the retailer engaged in deceptive marketing by inflating the value of its discounts.

According to the watchdog, the investigation examined a series of promotions on the Boohoo platform. The findings indicated that 40% of the examined discounts were not genuine price reductions, while an additional 7% of the promotions offered smaller savings than what was advertised to consumers. By presenting these figures, the regulator stated that Boohoo created a false impression of value, leading shoppers to believe they were securing better deals than they actually were.

Boohoo, which recently rebranded its parent company to Debenhams Group, has faced ongoing scrutiny regarding its business practices. This fine represents a significant regulatory action aimed at curbing misleading advertising in the e-commerce sector. While the company has not yet issued a detailed public rebuttal regarding the specific methodology of the French investigation, the ruling highlights the increasing pressure on international retailers to ensure price transparency within the European market.