Andrew Goodacre, BIRA’s chief executive, stated that the filing marks the “first step” towards compensating retailers for Amazon’s alleged misconduct. He expressed confidence that the Competition Appeal Tribunal would authorize the claim to proceed and looked forward to presenting the case on behalf of U.K. retailers.
“This is a watershed moment for U.K. retailers, especially for small independent retailers in this country,” Goodacre added.
Boris Bronfentrinker, a partner at BIRA’s law firm, Willkie Farr & Gallagher (UK) LLP, emphasized that the collective action aligns perfectly with the collective action regime designed to handle such claims.
“No individual retailer, no matter how large, is willing to get into the lion’s den and take the fight to Amazon. But, fortunately, BIRA has shown that it will stand up and fight for U.K. retailers,” Bronfentrinker said. “Retailers in the U.K. were entitled to be treated better and fairly by Amazon.”
The British Independent Retailers Association is represented by Sarah Ford KC of Brick Court Chambers and Jason Pobjoy of Blackstone Chambers, instructed by Boris Bronfentrinker, Elaine Whiteford, and Michelle Clark of Willkie Farr & Gallagher (UK) LLP. The claim is funded by Litigation Capital Management.
