St. John Knits Must Face Deceptive Outlet Store Pricing Lawsuit

A St. John Knits Inc. consumer offered enough detail to support her claims that the knitwear maker used a deceptive pricing scheme at its outlet stores, a federal court in California said, allowing the proposed class suit to advance.

While shopping at a California outlet store, Irina Ostrovskaya observed signs that advertised a “% off” sale for merchandise. She also alleges she saw signs for a higher “Val. Price,” which she assumed to be the original price at a boutique store, and a lower “Our Price,” which she assumed was the current price of the item at the outlet store. ...