Amazon sued by UK users for £1.1 billion in 'watershed' lawsuit

James Rodger
·2-min read

Amazon is being sued by UK businesses for damages of up to £1.1 billion. The lawsuit has been launched by British firms over claims it misused their data and pushed them out of the market to inflate its own profits.

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) said it was the biggest collective action ever launched by UK retailers. The claim is being filed by the group, on behalf of UK retailers, at a specialist London tribunal on Thursday.

Bira alleges that Amazon's UK marketplace illegally used data belonging to competing sellers to market rival products for a cheaper price. It primarily took place between 2015 and 2023, before new rules set by the European Commission came into effect.

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The information it took helped it decide which products it should sell itself, at what price, and which consumers to target, therefore benefiting its own retail operations, according to the claim. Shoppers can buy products sold directly from Amazon, or through independent sellers who list their products on the marketplace.

Bira, represented by law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, estimated that Amazon could be forced to pay out as much as £1.1 billion in damages if the case is successful.

It said this was calculated using economic analysis of data showing online sales made on Amazon's UK marketplace. If the tribunal agrees to proceed with the class action, then a trial could not happen until the middle of 2026, unless Amazon agrees to make the retailers involved a settlement offer beforehand.

Andrew Goodacre, Bira's chief executive, said Amazon has become the "dominant marketplace in the UK" for people shopping online. "As a result, for small retailers with limited resources, Amazon is the marketplace to start online trading," he said.

"The British public has a strong relationship with its local, independent retailers and ensuring they are not put out of business by Amazon's illegal actions is a key driving force behind this collective action. This is a watershed moment for UK retailers, but especially for small independent retailers in this country."

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