A French court on Tuesday ordered IKEA to pay a 1-million euro ($1.2 million) fine for spying on its French staff, after the world's biggest furniture retailer was found guilty of improperly gathering and storing data on its employees.

The French branch of Ingka Group, which owns most IKEA stores worldwide, was accused of snooping on its workers and some clients over several years.

The flatpack furniture group, which has recognized there were some improper practices, was accused of breaching employees' privacy by reviewing records of their bank accounts and sometimes using fake employees to write up reports on staff.

Worker representatives said the information was used to target union leaders in some cases or used to IKEA's advantage in disputes with customers, after the firm trawled data on people's finances and even what cars they drove. It was also found to have paid for access to police files.

Prosecutors had been pushing for a 2-million euro fine. Lawyers for France's General Confederation of Labour (CGT) union and several individuals seeking compensation said the final amount was not hefty, but welcomed the outcome.

"It's the symbolism here that matters," said Solene Debarre, a lawyer representing the CGT.

The company said it was reviewing the court decision to see if further measures were needed, after it took steps to stamp out the surveillance tactics.

"IKEA Retail France has strongly condemned the practices, apologized and implemented a major action plan to prevent this from happening again," the Ingka group said.

IKEA employs around 10,000 people in France, its third biggest market after Germany and the United States, and has experimented with new formats there, including a store launched in 2019 in the heart of Paris.

It is best known for its vast self-service stores out of town but many shoppers have shifted online, particularly during the pandemic lockdowns when demand for office furniture, food jars and cooking products grew strongly.

The Ingka group's operating profit in the year to the end of August 2020 fell, hurt by store closures during the coronavirus crisis, though it has projected a rebound.