California unseals records alleging Amazon coerced brands into retail price-fixing scheme

California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday unsealed court documents revealing allegations that Amazon coerced major brands into a price-fixing scheme that affected pricing across multiple retail platforms, according to Bloomberg. The evidence, contained in a largely unredacted 16-page document, was filed as part of California's request to the state Supreme Court for a preliminary injunction to halt Amazon's alleged conduct while the lawsuit—originally filed in 2022—proceeds, as reported by The Verge.

The alleged scheme involved prominent brands including Levi Strauss and targeted major retailers beyond Amazon itself. According to Bloomberg, the price-fixing arrangement influenced costs for a wide variety of goods on retail websites operated by Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Chewy, and other competitors. This suggests the anticompetitive behavior extended far beyond Amazon's own platform, potentially affecting consumer prices across the broader e-commerce and retail landscape.