F.T.C. Sues Largest U.S. Alcohol Distributor for Illegal Pricing

Published On Dec 12, 2024, 1:39 PM

The Biden administration's FTC has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, the largest alcohol distributor in the US, for allegedly charging small businesses significantly higher prices than large retailers like Kroger and Costco. This suit is based on the Robinson-Patman Act, which prevents discriminatory pricing without justification and has been rarely enforced in decades. The goal of this action is to protect smaller retailers from being unfairly priced out of competition due to practices that favor larger chains.