The Federal Trade Commission sues PepsiCo, alleging “rigged” soft drink competition

On Friday, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against… PepsiCoalleging that the company engaged in illegal price discrimination by giving an unnamed “very large” retailer unfair pricing advantages, while raising prices for others.

Federal Trade Commission Pepsi alleges that it has disadvantaged retailers for years, and has consistently favored one major retailer by providing benefits to its customers such as promotional payments, while depriving its competitors of these benefits.

Pepsi’s unfair practices have inflated prices for American families, while depriving competing retailers of the ability to compete fairly, violating consumer protection law. Robinson-Batman lawaccording to the complaint.

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“When companies like Pepsi give big retailers a push higher, it tilts the playing field against smaller companies and ultimately inflates product prices. American consumers“The FTC’s action will help ensure that all grocery stores and other businesses — regardless of size — get a fair shake and compete on the basis of their skills, competence, and talent,” FTC Chairwoman Lena M. Khan wrote in a statement. “

Under the Robinson-Patman Act, sellers are prohibited from using financial incentives to engage in price discrimination.

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The case comes a month after the commission filed a lawsuit against the largest U.S. wine and spirits distributor, Southern Glazer, in December 2024, claiming it violated the same law.

Much of the alleged violations were redacted, due to legal protections afforded to Pepsi and the alleged “preferred” retailer, according to a statement from the FTC.

The committee said it is trying to remove the missing information.

“Until Pepsi’s behavior is corrected, Pepsi Anti-competitive measures It will continue to create an unlevel playing field by depriving competing retailers, including family-owned neighborhood grocery stores, of the opportunity to compete fairly against PepsiCo’s large and preferred retail customers, according to the release.

tape	protection	last	It changes	% changes
Beep	PepsiCo	148.25	+1.71	+1.17%

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Pepsi and Walmart, which other media outlets have reported as favored competitors, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.