Articles by AFP
Amazon price rules anti-competitive: German regulator
Amazon's pricing rules are an abuse of its market power, Germany's competition watchdog said Monday, paving the way for possible demands for changes to its business practices in Europe's biggest economy. Amazon forces third-party sellers who use its platform to keep prices within limits that the tech giant sets, the Federal Cartel Office said in...
BusinessMember8 hours ago
French Senate addresses the challenge of curbing the rise of ‘fast fashion’
Paris - After considerable time in Parliament, a bill to curb ‘fast fashion’ was reviewed in the French Senate. The Senate aimed to legislate against this ‘short-lived’ or ‘disposable’ fashion shipped at discounted prices from China, with giants Shein and Temu in its sights. Inexpensive, of poor quality, easy to order, often highly polluting and...
BusinessMember13 hours ago
AI personal shoppers hunt down bargain buys
Internet giants are diving deeper into e-commerce with digital aides that know shoppers' likes, let them virtually try clothes on, hunt for deals and even place orders. The rise of virtual personal shoppers springs from generative artificial intelligence (AI) being put to work in "agents" specializing in specific tasks and given autonomy to...
BusinessMember30 May 2025
Misinformation casts shadow on US-China trade truce
From false claims of Americans panic-buying Chinese goods to bot-driven attacks on US brands, a tide of misinformation is casting a shadow over a temporary trade truce between Washington and Beijing. The world's two biggest economies agreed earlier this month to pause reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, a surprise de-escalation in their bitter trade...
BusinessMember26 May 2025
Working conditions: Dior not guilty, but to pay two million euros
Rome - The Italian Competition Authority on Wednesday ordered luxury brand Dior to pay two million euros in aid to “victims of exploitation” as part of an investigation into the working conditions of its subcontractors, but ruled out any “infraction”. An investigation had been opened in July 2024 by the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) “...
BusinessMember22 May 2025
Naf Naf to request receivership
Paris - Employees at ready-to-wear retailer Naf Naf learned on Wednesday that management would request the company be placed into receivership “with a view to a continuation plan,” according to a CSE document seen by AFP. A catastrophic scenario “The catastrophic scenario that we feared is repeating itself, less than a year after the takeover by...
BusinessMember22 May 2025
Nike to raise prices in the US amid tariffs
New York - American sportswear company Nike will increase prices on many items in the US on June 1, the group told AFP on Wednesday. It did not link this decision to any particular factor, but it comes amid new tariffs. All children's products, items under 100 dollars, Air Force 1 trainers and Jordan-branded items that are not shoes are exempt....
BusinessMember22 May 2025
Arnault slams France’s tax plans: ‘Encouragement to relocate’
Bernard Arnault, CEO of the world’s largest luxury firm LVMH, strongly criticised the French government during a hearing in the French Senate. In his argument, he stated that “it is very bad for the state to interfere in the management of private companies”. This statement came in response to President Emmanuel Macron’s recent call for economic...
People22 May 2025
Macron backs call to scrap EU sustainability rules
French President Emmanuel Macron boasted that his reforms paved the way for 20 billion euros ($22 billion) in foreign investment projects announced on Monday at the Palace of Versailles. The record figure beat the 15 billion euros announced last year and reinforced France's status as the top draw in Europe for foreign direct investment,...
BusinessMember20 May 2025
In India, ‘patriotic’ fashion is snapped up after conflict with Pakistan
Just hours after India's first missiles were fired at Pakistan, entrepreneurs immediately saw a business opportunity. They launched the manufacture of T-shirts and other merchandise in the colours of “Operation Sindoor”. From May 6-10, the two nuclear powers were on the brink of another war. They triggered the most serious military confrontation...
Business20 May 2025