FTC Sues Southern Glazer’s Under FDR-Era Anti-Price-Bias Law (1)

The Federal Trade Commission is suing alcohol distributor Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits LLC for alleged practices that charge mom-and-pop grocers significantly higher prices for alcohol products than big retail chains.

Southern Glazer’s, the largest liquor distributor in the US, is accused of giving large chains quantity discounts and rebates that aren’t extended to smaller independent retailers, ultimately harming competition and consumer choice, according a complaint filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Central District of California.

The FTC alleges the practices are in violation of the Robinson-Patman Act, a law enacted in 1936 that prohibits certain forms ...