In a recent news development, Amazon seized the headlines once again, as Austrian retailers have reportedly filed a complaint against the US eCommerce giant over its dual functioning as a retailer and an online marketplace.
In response to the complaint, the European Commission and Germany’s Antitrust Authority is investigating Amazon’s dual role in the market.
In a recent statement released by Austrian Retail Association, they highlighted Amazon’s dual role in the eCommerce market and how Amazon has the upper hand to check the prices of the listed retailers in their platform and fix prices that would benefit the company in the long run, thus providing less scope to other retailer’s product.
Amazon can in theory see the prices of the listed retailers (on its platform), undercut their prices and in the long run attract all that business. – Statement
Recently, a spokeswoman for Austria’s Federal Competition Authority answered in affirmative when asked whether the complaint holds any ground.
We have received a complaint. We are examining it
Although she was clear that at this stage the BWB would thoroughly examine the complaint, certain documents are reportedly said to be available to the Austrian newspaper Der Standard, claiming that the BWB would soon launch an investigation into the US eCommerce giant.
Although Amazon was not available for comment, the spokeswoman was reported saying “Those documents are not ours,” in response to the statement by Der Standard.
In an eCommerce marketplace where 93% of Austrian online shoppers have atleast made one purchase from Amazon, it is important that the other retailers are too given a fair chance to compete and sell their goods.
