WASHINGTON, DC — The undersigned Small Business Rising partner organizations released the following statement in response to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) proposed new merger guidelines, including quotes from select partners -- American Booksellers Association, Local First Arizona, Local First La Plata, Running Industry Association and Workplace Solutions Association:
“We applaud the FTC and DOJ for their commitment to robust enforcement of the antitrust laws, particularly against mergers that cut off the ability for small, independent businesses to compete on a level playing field. These new proposed merger guidelines take important steps towards establishing a new era in antitrust where mergers are not given a pass for their theoretical efficiencies, but rather scrutinized for the inherent threats to fairness, broad prosperity, and vibrant local economies. This is a critical step toward fostering fair, open and competitive markets in which independent businesses across the economy can compete and thrive.
“Members of our coalition submitted a letter to the FTC and DOJ in April 2021 outlining our priorities and describing why strong merger guidelines are a priority for small and independent businesses. As we stated in that letter, it was Congress’s intent to ensure that small businesses had a fair opportunity to compete and that local communities could thrive. Unfortunately, the antitrust agencies have set aside Congress’s clear directive and have allowed a cascade of mergers that have tipped the scale in the economy and harmed small business, including many of our members, by raising their costs and blocking their access to markets.
“We are encouraged that the FTC and DOJ are reversing the last four decades of agency policy that undermined Congress’s vision for antitrust laws to ‘aid in preserving small business as an important competitive factor in the American economy.’ Our coalition commends the FTC and DOJ for developing these new guidelines and we look forward to their implementation.”
Signed by:
Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding
American Booksellers Association
American Independent Business Alliance
American Specialty Toy Retailing Association
Austin Local Business Alliance
Cambridge Local First
Dane Buy Local
Independent Natural Food Retailers Association
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Local First Arizona
Local First, La Plata
Local Return
Louisville Independent Business Alliance
Love Live Local
Lowcountry Local First
Main Street Alliance
National Community Pharmacists Association
New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association
People First Economy
Running Industry Association
Southeast Michigan Sustainable Business Forum
Spokane Independent Metro Business Alliance
Stay Local
The Local Crowd Monadnock
Workplace Solutions Association
World Pet Association
Yorktown Small Business Association
Partner Statements
"As the largest coalition of locally-owned businesses in the nation, Local First Arizona works each day to build a diverse, inclusive, and prosperous Arizona economy - one that will allow entrepreneurs to innovate, grow, and thrive. Decades of unchecked corporate mergers have resulted in an economy that makes fair competition impossible. We support the proposed merger guidelines to give local businesses the opportunity to compete and build wealth in our communities."
– Thomas Barr, Vice President of Business Development, Local First Arizona
“ABA applauds the proposed merger guidelines for welcoming a new era of antitrust enforcement that will bring back a focus on fairness intended by Congress for small businesses to compete on a level playing field. Bookstores act as community anchors and create economically vibrant neighborhoods. Let's ensure independent bookstores have a chance to thrive by implementing the proposed merger guidelines.”
– David Grogan, Director, ABFE, Advocacy & Public Policy, American Booksellers Association
“The Running Industry Association fully supports placing guidelines that protect independent businesses from mergers that harm the ability to compete fairly in the market.”
– Terry Schalow, Executive Director, Running Industry Association
"We support the adoption of these essential merger guidelines that make it possible for small businesses in our community to thrive by tamping down on the rampant corporate consolidation. Local First is working in collaboration with our partners to face the constant threats of growing online markets and big box stores in hopes that local independent businesses can thrive into the future.”
– Lauren Berutich, CEO, Local First La Plata
“The proposed benefits of mergers and acquisitions over past years have clearly damaged small businesses and communities. Stronger scrutiny is needed to reverse this trend and restore competition and entrepreneurship in the marketplace.”
– Michael Tucker, Executive Director, Workplace Solutions Association
About Small Business Rising
Small Business Rising, a coalition of nearly 40 organizations representing more than 250,000 independent businesses, formed in 2021 to urge policymakers to rein in monopoly power and inject fairness into a system that has long left small businesses at a competitive disadvantage. The Hill described the coalition as "playing a pivotal role in high-profile debates over antitrust...in Washington," and helping "sway lawmakers to advance legislation to break up the largest tech companies through the House Judiciary Committee.”
Together, members of the coalition and small business voices have calling for Congress to stop tech monopolies, like Amazon, from cornering the online market by breaking them up and regulating them, for states to pass robust antitrust laws, and for Federal regulators to use their enforcement authorities to block dominant corporations from engaging in abusive tactics. For media inquiries, please email media[at]smallbusinessrising[dot]net.