Watchdog launches competition probe into Amazon

A probe has been launched into Amazon amid concerns that shoppers are being treated unfairly because it is prioritising the promotion of its own products.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating potentially anti-competitive practices by the retail giant.

The regulator said it will look at how the brand sets the eligibility criteria for selling under its popular Prime label, which comes with perks such as free delivery, and also how it decides which items are advertised prominently with options to “buy now”.

It will also investigate how Amazon uses thirdparty seller data. The investigation will consider whether Amazon has a “dominant position in the UK and whether it is abusing that position and distorting competition by giving an unfair advantage to its own retail business or sellers,” the CMA said.

Amazon said it was working with the CMA. It said: “There are now more than 65,000 small and medium-sized businesses in the UK that sell on Amazon, supporting more than 175,000 jobs.”