The Japan Fair Trade Commission concluded its investigation into Amazon Japan regarding potential violations of the Antimonopoly Act. The regulator approved a voluntary improvement plan submitted by the company to address concerns about restricted pricing freedom for third-party sellers.
Regulators found that since September 2019, Amazon Japan required sellers to match the lowest prices found on competing e-commerce platforms to qualify for the 'Featured Offer' placement. Sellers failing to meet these price parity requirements were algorithmically removed from prominent display positions, significantly reducing their visibility and sales.
Under the approved plan, Amazon Japan will modify its marketplace interface within six months. The platform will ensure that consumers can access the lowest-priced options and purchase links directly, even if no seller meets the previous competitive pricing criteria.
The Japanese commission stated that Amazon's practices unfairly pressured sellers to lower prices, which limited competition from other e-commerce platforms. Similar antitrust investigations into Amazon's featured product mechanisms have been initiated in the United States, Germany, and Canada.
