EXCLUSIVE: FTC Inspects Japan Arm of Ray-Ban, Oakley Operator

Tokyo, Nov. 19 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Fair Trade Commission on Wednesday conducted an on-site inspection of the Japanese arm of the operator of sunglasses brands Ray-Ban and Oakley for allegedly imposing retail price restrictions, informed sources told Jiji Press. According to the sources, French eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica’s Japanese arm, Luxottica Japan Co., is suspected of forcing retailers to sell certain popular Ray-Ban and Oakley products at set prices for at least the past few years. Luxottica Japan is also suspected of determining discount rates when retailers sold products on sale. Through such practices, the company may have sought to secure stable profits while maintaining the eyewear brands’ image, according to the sources. The Japanese market for ready-made sunglasses is said to be worth about 39.6 billion yen. The antimonopoly law prohibits manufacturers from forcing retailers to comply with their sales prices, saying that such practices constitute retail price maintenance. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]