Fine of over 3 million shekels: The footwear chain Originals gets entangled

The Competition Authority published a consent decree against I.E. Il Ltd. (Originals), the official importer of Rockport in Israel, for blocking Israelis' access to the brand's American website. The company will pay a fine of over 3 million shekels to the state treasury, without admitting to the alleged acts. The decree is open for public comments for 30 days.

The Competition Authority published a consent decree against I.E. Il Ltd., known as Originals and operating the Originals and Factory 54 chains, which is the official importer of the Rockport shoe brand in Israel. According to the authority, the company collaborated with the global brand owner in blocking access for Israeli users to the American Rockport website, redirecting them to the local Israeli site. This move was intended to prevent Israelis from comparing prices and making personal imports, amid price gaps between the Israeli and American markets. Following an authority investigation, access to the American website was restored. Now, under the consent decree, Originals will pay a fine of over 3 million shekels to the state treasury, without admitting to the alleged acts. The affair is part of a broader policy by the Competition Authority to protect personal and parallel imports, since the amendment to the Competition Law in September 2023. The decree is open for public comments for 30 days.