Lauren Gellatly
Small Business Groups Praise Regulatory Action ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 21, 2025) — In support for enforcement against predatory buying practices which have contributed to inflated costs across the American economy, more than one dozen groups in the Small Business Rising coalition released the following statement, applauding the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit targeting PepsiCo. for providing unfair pricing advantages to “a large, big box retailer,” reportedly Walmart according to multiple media sources.  

Small Business Groups Praise Regulatory Action Against PepsiCo. for Walmart Pricing Advantages
Lauren Gellatly
Small Business Groups Applaud Revival of ...

With the news of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) lawsuit against large wine and spirits distributor Southern Glazer’s for violating the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA) by using their market dominance to extract lower pricing from wholesalers, Small Business Rising coalition members applaud the reactivation of this important regulatory power for fair markets.

Small Business Groups Applaud Revival of Predatory Buying Statute by FTC
Lauren Gellatly
Independent Business Advocates Encouraged by ...

The Small Business Rising coalition and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance released the following statement in response to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division’s lawsuit against Visa for illegally punishing or threatening to punish merchants with higher fees if they try to use competing services to process debit card payments.

Independent Business Advocates Encouraged by the DOJ’s Lawsuit Against Visa Monopoly
Lauren Gellatly
Small Business Groups Across America Show ...
Small Business Groups Across America Show Support for CCCA
Lauren Gellatly
Small Business Groups Urge FTC to Enforce ...

More than a dozen independent business associations representing thousands of Main Street businesses have urged the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to revive Robinson-Patman Act enforcement. READ FULL LETTER.

“The undersigned organizations representing thousands of small businesses across our country write urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to use long-dormant regulatory powers to address predatory buying practices from dominant corporations by enforcing the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA). The responsibility to ensure fairness in our markets for both consumers and small businesses is vital for a functioning democracy. And we’re running out of time.

Small Business Groups Urge FTC to Enforce Predatory Buying Law

Small Businesses Call for SBA to Keep Monopolies Out of National Small Business Week

Small Businesses Call for SBA to Keep Monopolies Out of National Small Business Week

Washington, DC — More than 20 partners of the Small Business Rising coalition—representing hundreds of thousands of small businesses nationwide—released a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) showing their disappointment with the agency’s past financial partnerships with monopolies—such as Amazon, Google, and Visa—for National Small Business Week (NSBW). The letter urges the agency to enlist partners who are aligned with its mission to help Americans start, grow, and build resilient businesses, not mega-corporations that use their power and dominance in the market to stifle competition from smaller competitors. 

15+ Small Business Groups Show Support for the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Enforcement

15+ Small Business Groups Show Support for the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Enforcement

“As a coalition representing the interests of small and independent businesses across the country, we believe that the DOJ’s Antitrust Division work under AAG Kanter’s leadership has been crucial for fostering a fair and competitive marketplace and safeguarding the right of small and independent business to compete and serve the needs of their communities. We urge Congress to work collaboratively to ensure the DOJ’s Antitrust Division has the resources and support to pursue its mandate to promote economic competition through enforcing and providing guidance on antitrust laws and principles.

Small Business Groups Release Support Statement for the FTC's Amazon Antitrust Lawsuit

Small Business Groups Release Support Statement for the FTC's Amazon Antitrust Lawsuit

We applaud the Federal Trade Commission for filing suit to end Amazon’s monopolization of the online shopping market. No other company poses as big a threat to independent businesses and the health and dynamism of the U.S. economy. Amazon derives its dominance through classic monopoly tactics, and with this lawsuit, the FTC seeks to break Amazon’s chokehold. 

25+ Small Business Rising Groups Release Statement on Proposed New Merger Guidelines

25+ Small Business Rising Groups Release Statement on Proposed New Merger Guidelines

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.

30+ Independent Business Groups Support Reining in the Credit Card Monopolies

30+ Independent Business Groups Support Reining in the Credit Card Monopolies

Our coalition partners have identified exorbitant credit card interchange fees – also known as swipe fees – as a top issue undermining their small business members, who report that swipe fees are now their highest expense after payroll. This ‘duopoly’ power must be addressed through legislation like the Credit Card Competition Act, which will prevent Visa and MasterCard from forcing merchants to use their card networks to process payments, resulting in significant fee reductions for small businesses.

25+ Small Business Rising Coalition Members' and Small Business Owners’ Statement on U.S Senate Reintroducing the American Innovation and Choice Online Act

25+ Small Business Rising Coalition Members' and Small Business Owners’ Statement on U.S Senate Reintroducing the American Innovation and Choice Online Act

The American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA) – a bill prohibiting Amazon, Meta, Apple, and Alphabet from preferencing their products over businesses that depend on them to reach customers online – if passed, is a win for America's entrepreneurs and the tens of thousands of small businesses we represent.

Recent Press Coverage

24 Small Business Groups Urge Congress to Pass Big Tech Reform by End of Year

Yesterday, Small Business Rising members sent a letter to House and Senate leadership urging them to pass the Big Tech bills by the end of the year.

Members of our coalition have long advocated for Congress to address Big Tech’s growing monopoly power, and now is the moment to advance legislation that will safeguard the right for independent businesses to compete and serve the needs of their communities.