Demand Progress

Urge the FTC to take on corporate supermarket chains!

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    Urge the FTC to take on corporate supermarket chains!

    Petition to the Federal Trade Commission:
    We ask that in all of your efforts to hold corporate grocery chains accountable that you also use the Robinson-Patman Act to stop big corporations from squeezing out small businesses and taking advantage of consumers.

    Elizabeth Warren and other Democrats in Congress are asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to use an FDR-era law last used in the 1980s to force corporate grocery chains to lower their sky-high prices.1

    The FTC has already said that corporate supermarkets and big retailers like Amazon and Walmart took advantage of supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic to jack up prices.2 Now, Senator Warren and other Democrats are urging the FTC to stop these corporations from taking advantage of their size and power to punish consumers and small businesses!3

    Sign the petition: Urge the FTC to enforce the law and stop supermarket chains from putting massive corporate profits over consumers!

    The FDR-era law, the Robinson-Patman Act, bars price discrimination by suppliers that can allow big corporate retailers to charge higher prices while squeezing out smaller competitors4 — just like corporate supermarkets did during the pandemic.

    It should be a priority for the government to use every tool at its disposal to hold corporations accountable and protect consumers from CEOs solely focused on their massive bonuses and stock value.

    As Senator Warren put it, “Our food industry is highly concentrated, with only a few giant grocery chains calling the shots & raising costs for consumers.”5 That’s why she’s asking the FTC to enforce a specific antitrust law that could lead to lower food prices for families.

    Americans shouldn’t have to struggle to cover the costs of basic needs just because some greedy executives have control over the market.

    Add your name: Ask the FTC to use the FDR-era law to hold corporations accountable!

    Sources: 

    1. Bloomberg News, “Lawmakers Urge FTC to Enforce FDR-Era Law Over Grocery Price Bias,” March 28, 2024.
    2. New York Times, “Large Grocers Took Advantage of Pandemic Supply Chain Disruptions, F.T.C. Finds” March 21, 2024.
    3. Bloomberg News, “Lawmakers Urge FTC to Enforce FDR-Era Law Over Grocery Price Bias,” March 28, 2024.
    4. Ibid.
    5. Senator Elizabeth Warren on Twitter, “Our food industry is highly concentrated, with only a few giant grocery chains...” April 1, 2024.