France Fines Boohoo $2.3 Million Euros For Deceptive Practices
Fri, August 21, 2026 at 9:43 PM GMT+3 2 min read
France's consumer watchdog has fined Boohoo 2.3 million euros ($2.7 million), after the British fast fashion retailer was accused of deceptive practices such as fake discounts and mislabeled materials.
France's Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) said Boohoo has exaggerated the discounts it offered, which ultimately gave consumers the false impression of saving on money, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing the agency's statement.
Citing its investigation, the watchdog said 48 percent of the promotions were actually price increases, 40 percent were not real price deductions, and seven percent had a lower discount than advertised.
Moreover, the DGCCRF also said Boohoo also labelled synthetic products as "leather" or "suede," in violation of French rules on product labelling.
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Boohoo, which bought department store chain Debenhams in 2021 and years later renamed itself Debenhams Group, reportedly said through a spokesperson that the company has already cooperated fully with the watchdog.
Despite the fine on Boohoo, it's Chinese companies Temu and Shein that concerns France more. There is fast fashion, and then there is ultra-fast fashion, and France takes note of this distinction by primarily cracking down on the latter which Temu and Shein fall under. Some consider Boohoo, which in 2019 was called one of the least sustainable fashion brands in the U.K., as ultra-fast fashion as well.
In July, France passed a landmark anti-ultra fast fashion law, which, among other provisions, will issue a fine for each ultra-fast fashion product starting September this year, with the range of penalties increasing up to 2 euros and 20 euros by 2030. The legislation has reportedly received flak for essentially sparing European and French companies such as Zara and Kiabi.
Boohoo has other problems with bigger bills. It is currently facing a High Court lawsuit from investors after its share price collapsed under the weight of a sweatshop scandal. Sourcing Journal previously reported that investors were seeking compensation of up to 245 million pounds ($329 million).
Fake discounts, however, are not exclusively fast fashion problems. In the U.S., several retailers such as Nike are facing proposed class action lawsuits that accuse these online marketplaces of essentially using fake discounts to drive sales.
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