The Laundry Detergent Cartel – Episode 3 – First In, First Out Clean

Épisode de Cartels & Cie par Autorité de la concurrence · 22 septembre 2026 · 10 min

France’s four leading laundry detergent makers were fined a total of €367.9 million after colluding for nearly six years over the prices and promotional deals offered to supermarket chains.

Guided by journalist Isabelle Souquet, the series features first-hand accounts from investigators at the French Competition Authority, as well as public- and private-sector representatives with knowledge of the cartels.

This podcast was originally produced in French and has been translated into English by the French Competition Authority. All speakers are voiced by professional actors, and all names remain unchanged.

CASE SUMMARY

It all began in 2008, when Unilever reported the existence of the cartel and applied for leniency, securing immunity from fines. In the months that followed, Henkel, Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive also came forward and were granted reductions in their fines. The French Competition Authority then uncovered a far-reaching cartel covering all laundry detergent brands and formats — powder, liquid and tablets. The companies’ sales directors met secretly three to four times a year in hotels and restaurants in the western suburbs of Paris. Documents seized during the investigation showed the companies used code names to conceal their identities: “Hugues” for Henkel, “Pierre” for Procter & Gamble, “Laurence” or “Louis” for Lever (Unilever), and “Christian” for Colgate. The result? Competition between laundry detergent manufacturers was restricted from 1997 to 2004, with consumers paying higher prices than in a competitive market.

SPEAKERS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE

Pierre Larcher, former case officer at the French Competition Authority

Virginie Beaumeunier, former General Rapporteur at the French Competition Authority

Anne Krenzer, Head of the Leniency Unit at the French Competition Authority

Stanislas Martin, former General Rapporteur at the French Competition Authority

DECISION (in French only):

https://www.autoritedelaconcurrence.fr/sites/default/files/commitments/11d17.pdf

APPEALS

The decision is final. The reviewing courts upheld the decision.

Judgment of the Paris Court of Appeal of 30 January 2014 (in French only): appeal dismissed

FIND OUT MORE

What is leniency? https://www.autoritedelaconcurrence.fr/fr/quest-ce-que-le-programme-de-clemence

This series is an educational resource for the general public. The presentation of the cartels covered is not intended to be exhaustive, and some information provided in the interviews may lack precision or simplify certain aspects of the cases. Listeners are therefore invited to consult the full text of the relevant decisions, available in French on our website (N.B.: only the French version of the full text of each decision is authentic), as well as, where applicable, any judgments subsequently handed down by the reviewing courts, for a complete and accurate understanding of the context and scope of the information presented.

Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

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Vous écoutez Cartels & Cie, un podcast sur les plus grandes affaires de fraudes économiques françaises. Dans cette série en huit épisodes, on vous emmène dans les coulisses des enquêtes de l’Autorité de la concurrence, au cœur de scandales économiques qui impliquent certaines des plus grosses…

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