Regulators have fined Kilkenny Design €600 for failing to display the price of goods for sale at its landmark store in central Dublin.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) on Wednesday detailed recent action taken against 13 businesses for failing to comply with laws designed to protect their customers.
Kilkenny Design was issued with two fixed-payment notices of €300 each for failing to display correct prices at its shop on Nassau Street in Dublin, according to the commission.
A CCPC inspector found that, in October, the store had breached an EU regulation requiring shops to show the prices they are charging for the goods they sell. According to the CCPC, these fixed-payment notices must be paid within 28 days or the business will face the threat of prosecution.
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Kilkenny Design is a well-known department store chain, with shops around the Republic that specialise in selling products made by Irish designers.
The company did not comment on Wednesday.
Other businesses fined included discount chain Homesavers in Monaghan Retail Park; Mastersons Centra in Carrick on Shannon, Co Leitrim; and Eurogiant, Cloonybeirne, Co Roscommon.
The commission issued compliance notices, which direct traders to remedy a breach of consumer law, to Caragh Jewellers, Killarney, Co Kerry and The Huntsman Inn, College Road, Galway.
CCPC member Patrick Kenny said that at this time of year it was “more vital than ever that prices are clearly and correctly shown in every shop, pub and restaurant in the country”.
The commission will conduct inspections and act where it finds traders breaking the law, he warned.
“We look forward to gaining the power to directly impose meaningful fines for breaches of consumer law, sending a clear signal to businesses that they must treat consumers fairly or face serious consequences,” he added.
The commission last year prosecuted Homesavers for not paying fines after inspectors issued fixed payment notices to its Ennis, Co Clare store for failing to display prices.
The CCPC has been seeking greater penalties for companies breaking consumer protection laws. Traders must ensure their prices are displayed clearly to allow customers make fully informed choices before buying, the regulator noted.
