$35M Settlement Approved in Babys R Us Class Action

New York, NY: Final approval has been given to a $35.5 million settlement in an antitrust class action lawsuit brought against Babies "R" Us and several baby product manufacturers.

The lawsuit alleged Babies "R" Us conspired with the manufacturers to restrict competition by requiring all retailers to sell their goods at or above a minimum resale price, and thus that the class paid inflated prices for products.

Britax Child Safety Inc., Peg Perego USA Inc., BabyBjörn AB, Regal Lager Inc., Medela Inc., Maclaren USA Inc. and Kids Line LLC were also defendants in the lawsuit.

According to court documents, the settlement represented 24 percent of estimated actual damages. The class includes customers who bought certain items between 2001 and 2006.

A separate antitrust suit was filed against the defendants by BabyAge.com Inc. and The Baby Club alleging they were prevented from discounting items. That case was consolidated for purposes of discovery. The action with BabyAge against Peg Perego was dismissed with prejudice.