Greek Regulator Fines VF Hellas After Finding Restrictions on Google Ads & Price Comparison Sites

Key Takeaways

• €954,485 Competition Fine: The Hellenic Competition Commission fined VF Hellas for violating Greek and EU competition law through restrictions imposed on retailers.
• Google Ads and Comparison Sites Restricted: Regulators found VF Hellas prohibited retailers from using price comparison platforms and search engine advertising services, including Google Ads.
• Hardcore Competition Infringements: The Commission determined the practices constituted "hardcore restrictions" under Article 4(e) of Regulation (EU) No. 720/2022.
• Multiple Product Categories Affected: The restrictions applied across brands distributed by VF Hellas, impacting school supplies, clothing, and footwear products, including Vans, Eastpak, and The North Face.

Deep Dive

The Hellenic Competition Commission has fined VF Hellas €954,485 after concluding the company used its contracts with retailers to shut off some of the most important routes consumers use to find products online. The restrictions covered brands including Vans, Eastpak, and The North Face and applied not only to school supplies but also to clothing and footwear.

VF Hellas allegedly imposed a blanket ban on retailers' use of price-comparison websites and prohibited them from using search-engine advertising services, including Google Ads. Those restrictions meant retailers could not promote products through channels that many consumers now rely on when comparing prices, searching for specific brands, or deciding where to buy.

The Commission said the restrictions were embedded in agreements between VF Hellas and its retail partners and applied across entire product brands rather than to specific categories of goods. As a result, the practices affected not only school supplies such as backpacks, lunch bags, and pencil cases, but also apparel and footwear carrying the same brand names.

Under the Commission's findings, the restrictions qualified as "hardcore" infringements under Article 4(e) of Regulation (EU) No. 720/2022, a category reserved for practices viewed as particularly damaging to competition within vertical distribution arrangements.

European competition authorities have spent years drawing a distinction between legitimate brand protection and contractual controls that prevent retailers from competing effectively online. Manufacturers may set conditions for distribution, particularly in selective distribution systems, but regulators have repeatedly challenged restrictions that block retailers from reaching customers through widely used digital channels.

The Commission's decision suggests it viewed the conduct here as crossing that line. Faced with the evidence collected during the investigation, VF Hellas submitted a settlement proposal under the Commission's settlement framework. The regulator accepted the proposal and adopted Decision No. 913/2026, imposing the €954,485 fine.

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