Brown Thomas Arnotts Ltd has avoided a recorded conviction after pleading guilty to breaching pricing regulations during a Black Friday sales event. The case was brought by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) at Dublin District Court.
The court heard that the department store group had displayed incorrect reference prices for a Dyson Supersonic hairdryer and a Dyson Airwrap styler during its Black Friday sale in November 2022. The CCPC's investigation found that the advertised previous, higher prices for these items were not the prices at which they were generally sold in the 30 days prior to the sale, as required by law.
Judge Anthony Halpin noted the company's early guilty plea, cooperation, and lack of previous convictions. He applied the Probation of Offenders Act, sparing the retailer a formal conviction on condition it pays €2,000 to the court's poor box and covers the CCPC's legal costs.
A solicitor for Brown Thomas Arnotts expressed the company's sincere regret for the incident, which was described as an isolated error. The CCPC stated the prosecution served as a reminder to all retailers of their obligations under consumer protection law regarding price promotions.
