Overview
- California’s attorney general, who unsealed a largely unredacted court filing Monday, says internal emails show Amazon steered vendors to get competitors to lift prices so Amazon would not be undercut.
- According to the filing, Amazon told vendors to “fix,” “increase,” or “look into” rivals’ prices and backed those directives with threats such as ad and promotion limits, demands for compensation, or removing products through a process that cuts off purchase orders.
- The documents cite examples including Levi’s pressing Walmart to raise Easy Khaki Classic pants to $29.99, Chewy prices for Canine Naturals pet treats rising after Amazon increased its own, Allergan confirming Walmart at $16.99 for eye drops after a $13.59 match, and a vendor saying Home Depot agreed to raise fertilizer prices.
- The state is seeking a preliminary injunction that would bar price coordination and curb Amazon’s communications about other retailers’ pricing, with a July 23 hearing set, restitution and damages requested, and a trial slated for January 2027.
- Amazon denies the allegations and calls the motion a distraction from a weak case, saying it will respond in court and asserting it offers low prices while the company faces separate scrutiny in federal and multi‑state actions.