Robinson-Patman Act (1936)
Congress passed the Robinson-Patman Act to curb the buying power of large chain stores. The law made it illegal for sellers to charge competing buyers different prices for goods of the same grade and quality when the difference harms competition.
The FTC gained a dedicated tool to police price discrimination between large and small retailers.
Enforcement dramatically declined after the 1970s as antitrust policy shifted toward a consumer-welfare standard, leaving the law largely dormant for decades.
The December 2024 lawsuit was the first Robinson-Patman enforcement action the FTC had brought in 26 years, reviving a law many antitrust lawyers considered effectively obsolete.
