Conclusion of Competition and Markets Authority Investigation

Conclusion of Competition and Markets Authority Investigation

LONDON, 27th March 2024: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has today announced the conclusion of its investigation into ASOS and other fashion retailers regarding the use of environmental claims about fashion products. 

ASOS has co-operated fully and openly with the CMA throughout its investigation, and we have voluntarily given an undertaking to the CMA.1 The CMA states that the commitments made by ASOS and others “set a benchmark" for the industry, and that it will build on the current Green Claims Code with additional information tailored to the fashion sector. Alongside the announcement, the CMA issued an open letter to the fashion industry, urging other fashion retail businesses to review their claims and practices in light of the undertakings. We welcome the CMA’s commitment to ensuring equal standards are applied across the fashion industry to create a level playing field in the best interests of consumers.

We remain committed to our Fashion with Integrity (FWI) programme,2 which first launched in 2010 and was refreshed in 2021 with a series of new targets including: to use lower impact raw materials and design for circularity in our products; to reduce emissions intensity across our offices, warehouses, and product manufacture and transportation; and to promote transparency and human rights and diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Sharing clear and accurate information on the sustainability credentials of fashion products is crucial to empowering consumers to make fully informed choices. As we set out in our latest Fashion with Integrity Progress Update, published in May 2023, ASOS is focused on developing robust processes and systems that will enable us to provide clear and accurate information about the environmental impacts of our products and our business. We will continue to provide updates on our progress in our annual FWI reports.

The undertaking can be read on the CMA's website here.

Notes to Editors

1An undertaking is a voluntary agreement made to address an enforcement authority’s concerns and resolve an investigation.

2A summary of the programme and the activity delivered over the last financial year is available in the Annual Report, pages 16-18: https://asos-12954-s3.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/files/7217/0065/7934/ASOS_Annual_Report_2023.pdf


Back to News