We’re Long Overdue for Antitrust Reform.
The Main Street Competition Coalition (MSCC) is a coalition of main street businesses and agriculture producers that are committed to promoting competition and reviving and reforming the Robinson-Patman Act, a law that prohibits economic discrimination. MSCC advocates for antitrust policies — many that are already on the books — to ensure a level playing field for the benefit of both business and consumers.
Antitrust enforcement is not just a Big Tech issue.
Price discrimination, channel discrimination, and exclusionary conduct that corporate giants use to limit competition are illegal under existing laws like the Robinson-Patman Act. We must act to update and enforce these laws to ensure competition across industries.
We are committed to increasing competition in retail and wholesale markets to give consumers a real choice. We are pushing for stronger enforcement of existing antitrust laws, like the Robinson-Patman Act, a law that prohibits price discrimination but has not been enforced in decades. We are calling for Congress and the FTC to reassert the goals of the Robinson-Patman Act to prohibit anticompetitive economic discrimination that harms smaller rivals and producers, and limits consumer choice.
Our Goals:
Restore a Free and Fair Marketplace
We work with industries and businesses affected by abuses of market power to push for government solutions that restore a competitive marketplace to the US economy.
Investigate
We’re calling on the FTC to investigate anticompetitive vertical conduct between retailers and suppliers to determine whether monopolistic behavior of dominant firms has led to economic discrimination and harm to smaller rivals and consumers.
Investigations should review whether channels of trade distinctions are being used to evade laws against economic discrimination. The FTC should also look beyond price effects to include other dimensions of competition, including impacts on quality, service, and convenience as a result of economic discrimination and increasing consolidation.
Enforce
The FTC should exercise its authority under the Robinson-Patman Act to bring enforcement actions against anti-competitive economic discrimination. It’s up to Congress to pursue rigorous oversight of the antitrust enforcement agencies to ensure that existing laws are being enforced and customers are protected.
The law is clear: The federal government should not allow dominant players to manipulate markets to the detriment of competition, American consumers, and agriculture producers.
Reform
Congress should consider legislative reforms to existing antitrust laws that restrain buyer-side market power, prohibit anti-competitive economic discrimination, and reflect a holistic consumer welfare standard.
These updates should be based on thorough investigations, studies, and input from affected organizations and consumers.
Support the Coalition
JOIN US
Membership to the Main Street Competition Coalition is open not only to organizations and businesses, but individuals, academics, and antitrust practitioners who support the coalition’s policy goals and objectives. To inquire further, please contact us.
DONATE
The National Grocers Association’s Fund for Fair Competition is accepting contributions to help finance the coalition’s legal, advocacy, and public relations activities. Make a donation now to support our work.
Members
Resources
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June 13, 2024
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April 30, 2024
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Sept 14, 2023
Read the full letter
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March 30, 2022
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October 28, 2021
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News and Stories
The Federalist Society: Not Enforcing the Robinson-Patman Act is Lawless and Likely Harms Consumers
July 9, 2024
News reports that the Federal Trade Commission is about to bring its first enforcement action under the Robinson-Patman Act in over two decades has commentators scrambling to preemptively denounce the case as well as the law itself. Read More
WSJ: FTC Finds Large Grocers Used Size to Stock Shelves During Pandemic
March 21, 2024
Federal regulators said large grocery chains used their size and scale to keep shelves stocked during the pandemic, edging out smaller rivals when most stores struggled with product shortages and distribution bottlenecks. Read More
CNN: How a Depression-era law could be used to make your booze cheaper
June 7, 2024
Federal regulators are planning to use a rarely enforced law from the Great Depression to allege America’s largest alcohol distributor is unfairly pricing wine and spirits, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. Read More
The American Prospect: War in the Aisles
June 12, 2024
You’ve grabbed a shopping cart, walked through the sliding doors, and checked your list for the week. Keep it simple—Monday, spaghetti and meatballs. Tuesday, of course, is for tacos. Wednesday, how about a stew. Can’t forget the cold cuts, bread, and Cheez-Its for lunch this week. Thursday? Oh yeah, the dinner plans. On Friday, salmon, asparagus, and potatoes. Read More