Amazon wanted to sell Levi\u2019s Easy Khaki Classic pants for $29.99, but Walmart had lowered the price, and the giant online retailer had matched it at $25.47 to $26.99. <\/p>\n
But Amazon wasn\u2019t happy. It subsequently contacted Levi Strauss, asking the San Francisco apparel company to convince Walmart to raise its price, according to a document filed Monday in a price-fixing case brought against Amazon by California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta.<\/p>\n
Not only did Walmart raise its price, but a Levi Strauss employee also emailed Amazon, \u201cI\u2019m really hoping we can show this as a proof case so we can resolve issues going forward,\u201d according to the filing.<\/p>\n
The exchange over the pricing of the khaki pants is just one example of about a dozen cited in the document, filed in support of a preliminary injunction Bonta is seeking against Amazon to stop alleged price fixing.<\/p>\n
Bonta\u2019s office argues that Amazon, which is the largest online retailer in the U.S. and recorded $717 billion in global sales<\/a> last year, is leveraging its market power to inflate retail prices on its and competing sites.<\/p>\n \u201cAmazon has strong-armed vendors into raising prices elsewhere or pulling products from competing retailers altogether so that Amazon can protect its profit margins,\u201d Bonta said Monday at a news conference announcing the filing. \u201cThis takes money out of the pockets of California families every single day on everyday goods, ranging from diapers to clothing to furniture.\u201d<\/p>\n Bonta filed the lawsuit in 2022 <\/a> in San Francisco Superior Court. The preliminary injunction is being sought in advance of a trial set for January. A hearing on the request is set for July 23.<\/p>\n Amazon said in a statement Monday that the legal motion is a \u201ctransparent attempt to distract from the weakness of its case, coming more than three years after filing its complaint and based on supposedly \u2018new\u2019 evidence it has had for years.<\/p>\n \u201cAmazon is consistently identified as America\u2019s lowest-priced online retailer, and we\u2019re proud of the low prices customers find when shopping in our store. Amazon looks forward to responding in court at the appropriate time,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n Walmart said in a statement: \u201cWe do not comment on litigation in which we are not a party. We will always work hard on behalf of our customers to keep our prices low.\u201d<\/p>\n Levis Strauss did not immediately respond. <\/p>\n The litigation is the latest lawsuit alleging that the Seattle-based retailer has engaged in price-fixing.<\/p>\n The Federal Trade Commission, 18 states and Puerto Rico have accused the company of abusing its market position<\/a> to inflate prices on other online retail platforms, overcharge sellers and stifle competition. The 2023 federal lawsuit filed in Seattle largely mirrored California\u2019s case.<\/p>\n The lawsuit, which has yet to go to trial, seeks a permanent injunction that would prohibit Amazon from engaging in unlawful conduct and loosen its \u201cmonopolistic control to restore competition.\u201d <\/p>\n