Atty. Gen. Bonta says evidence reveals how Amazon pressured Levi's, other retailers to hike prices

Amazon wanted to merchantability Levi's Easy Khaki Classic pants for $29.99, but Walmart had lowered the price, and the elephantine online retailer had matched it astatine $25.47 to $26.99.

So Amazon contacted Levi Strauss astir 2 "styles of concern," asking the San Francisco apparel institution to person Walmart to rise its price, according to a papers filed Monday successful a price-fixing lawsuit brought against Amazon by the California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta.

Not lone did Walmart rise its price, but a Levi Strauss worker emailed Amazon that, "I'm truly hoping we tin amusement this arsenic a impervious lawsuit truthful we tin resoluteness issues going forward," according to the filing.

The speech implicit the pricing of the khaki pants is conscionable 1 illustration of astir a twelve cited successful the document, filed successful enactment of a preliminary injunction Bonta is seeking against Amazon to halt the alleged terms fixing.

Read more: California launches suit against Amazon alleging anticompetitive contracts with retailers

Bonta's bureau argues that Amazon, which is the largest online retailer successful the U.S. and recorded $717 cardinal successful planetary income past year, is leveraging its marketplace powerfulness to inflate retail prices connected its and competing sites.

“The institution is terms fixing, colluding with vendors and different retailers to rise costs for Americans beyond what the marketplace requires — beyond what is fair,” said Bonta, successful a quality merchandise Monday that called the grounds it brought guardant "as wide arsenic day."

Bonta filed the suit successful 2022 successful San Francisco Superior Court. The preliminary injunction is being sought successful beforehand of a proceedings acceptable for January. A proceeding connected the petition is acceptable for July 23.

Amazon and Levi Strauss did not instantly respond to requests for comment, but Amazon has disputed the allegations.

It told The Times erstwhile the suit was filed that it "takes pridefulness successful the information that we connection debased prices crossed the broadest selection" and that vendors who merchantability products connected its level "set their ain prices."

The litigation brought by Bonta is not the lone suit the Seattle-based retailer is facing regarding alleged terms fixing.

Read more: Amazon sued by FTC and 17 states implicit allegations it inflates online prices and overcharges sellers

The Federal Trade Commission, 18 states and Puerto Rico person accused the institution of abusing its marketplace presumption to inflate prices connected different online retail platforms, overcharge sellers and stifle competition. The 2023 national suit filed successful Seattle mostly mirrored California's case.

The lawsuit, which has yet to spell to trial, seeks a imperishable injunction that would prohibit Amazon from engaging successful unlawful behaviour and loosen its "monopolistic power to reconstruct competition."