48% actually represented a price increase.
Boohoo was fined €2.3 million (£2 million) by France’s consumer watchdog over deceptive practices such as offering fake discounts.
The Manchester-based company, which was founded by Mahmud Kamani, was found to have exaggerated discounts, giving shoppers a false impression of the savings available.
France’s Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control investigated Boohoo’s promotional practices.
It found that 40% of the promotions examined were not genuine price reductions. A further 7% offered a smaller reduction than advertised, while 48% actually represented a price increase.
The watchdog also found that Boohoo used terms including “leather” and “suede” to market synthetic products.
This contravened French rules on product labelling, according to the regulator.
The fine comes four years after Boohoo agreed to a $100 million (£73 million) settlement in a US lawsuit.
The California case alleged that Boohoo brands PrettyLittleThing and NastyGal used fake promotions to mislead shoppers.
The brands were accused of running sham sales and promotions in the US for at least four to five years.
Boohoo agreed to the settlement “without admission of liability”, according to the company.
The French penalty comes as Boohoo continues to face challenges in an increasingly competitive online fashion market.
The company has faced growing competition from low-cost retailers such as Shein and Temu.
It has also faced pressure from the secondhand marketplace Vinted, alongside higher delivery costs and US tariffs.
Boohoo experienced rapid growth during the Covid-19 pandemic, when high street shops were closed and demand for online shopping increased.
However, the company has since battled to revive sales amid inflation, higher wages and increased regulatory demands.
These pressures include new packaging requirements and European rules covering textile waste.
The wider UK online fashion sector has also faced difficulties keeping pace with Shein’s digital innovation.
Boohoo’s reputation was further damaged in 2020 following reports about working practices at factories in Leicester.
An independent review subsequently found the allegations about poor working practices were “substantially true”.
Boohoo’s parent company renamed itself Debenhams Group in 2025 and owns brands including Oasis, Warehouse and Karen Millen.
The group raised £35 million from shareholders in February to reduce its debt.
It has also faced criticism over its strategy from its largest shareholder, Frasers Group, founded by Sports Direct billionaire Mike Ashley.
Frasers Group now owns more than a quarter of Debenhams Group.
A Boohoo spokesperson said the issues identified by the French regulator related to a previous period.
The spokesperson said the problems occurred between October 2023 and February 2024, when the business was under previous management.
They added that the issues had now been resolved.
The spokesperson said: “We have cooperated fully with the regulator, and continue to review how ?we price and label our products.”
