News
Case concerning ØnskeBørn has been concluded
The Maritime and Commercial Court has, by way of a default judgment, imposed a fine of 9 million DKK on the retail chain ØnskeBørn A/S, which is in bankruptcy, after the Danish Competition Council had previously determined that ØnskeBørn violated the Competition Act by coordinating prices on baby and children’s products among its members. The Ønskebørn chain has gone bankrupt, and the bankruptcy estate chose not to participate in the proceedings before the Maritime and Commercial Court.
In March 2023, the Danish Competition Council ruled that the voluntary chain ØnskeBørn A/S had violated the Competition Act by coordinating prices, including the marketing of prices for baby and children’s products.
ØnskeBørn brought the case before the Maritime and Commercial Court, seeking acquittal, while the Competition Council sought the imposition of a fine of 9 million DKK. Subsequently, ØnskeBørn A/S went bankrupt, and as the bankruptcy estate did not wish to participate in the case, the Maritime and Commercial Court delivered a default judgment in accordance with the Competition Council’s claim. ØnskeBørn A/S, in bankruptcy, was thus fined 9 million DKK.
ØnskeBørn’s price coordination took place through communications from the chain office to the chain’s members. During the period from 6 October 2016 to 21 November 2018, the coordination involved what ØnskeBørn refers to as “own products” and “exclusive products”. Furthermore, on two occasions in the spring of 2020, ØnskeBørn similarly coordinated prices for “other products”.
ØnskeBørn A/S was a chain company that organized cooperation among the independent businesses in the ØnskeBørn chain. The member companies, among other things, cooperated on purchasing through the chain company. ØnskeBørn A/S went bankrupt in the spring of 2025.