• Were the prices of Decora floor panels set as a result of collusion?
• President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny has initiated an investigation procedure in the case.
• In addition, UOKiK employees searched the manufacturer’s premises and stores that sell the panels.

The President of UOKiK initiated an investigation procedure due to suspicions that the floor panel manufacturer Decora may have entered into a prohibited agreement with sellers of its products. The arrangements may have concerned the prices of (vinyl) floor panels and related accessories, such as underlays, floor profiles, and skirting boards. The entrepreneurs may have also divided the sales market for these products among themselves.

– After I received the signals and UOKiK conducted an analysis, I decided to initiate an investigation procedure and ordered searches, which, with the court’s consent and Police assistance, took place at the premises of four entities. We are currently reviewing the collected evidence. The suspected collusion may have prevented consumers and flooring specialists from purchasing Decora panels at prices lower than those set centrally – says Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK.

The searches were conducted at the headquarters of the following companies: Decora, Decora Trade, Sklepy Komfort, and Bel-Pol. The suspected practices may have involved setting store prices for Decora products to match or exceed the catalogue prices provided by the company to distributors. Decora may have enforced compliance with established resale prices among its trading partners. The sanctions could include refusing deliveries or extending the deadlines for their completion. In addition, there may have been agreements to restrict the sale of Decora products on certain online platforms.

The investigation procedure is conducted in rem and not against specific businesses. If the evidence collected confirms the suspicions, the President of UOKiK will initiate antitrust proceedings and bring charges against individual entities. An enterprise involved in a competition-restricting agreement faces a fine of up to 10% of its turnover. The managers responsible for entering into the price-fixing arrangement face a fine of up to PLN 2 million.

Severe sanctions can be avoided by taking advantage of the leniency scheme. It offers businesses involved in an illegal agreement and managers responsible for entering into a price-fixing arrangement an opportunity to reduce a sanction or, in some cases, avoid it altogether. It is intended for those who agree to cooperate with the President of UOKiK as a “crown witness” and provide evidence or information regarding the existence of a prohibited agreement. We encourage the parties interested in the leniency scheme to contact UOKiK. UOKiK staff will answer any questions, including anonymous questions, about the leniency scheme at the phone line set up specifically for that purpose, available by calling the following number: 22 55 60 555.

We would also like to remind you that we operate a program to obtain information from anonymous whistleblowers. Do you wish to inform UOKiK about competition restricting practices? Visit https://uokik.whiblo.pl/ or scan the QR code below and use the simple form. The system we use guarantees full anonymity, including from UOKiK.