California Attorney General Rob Bonta last night filed a request for a preliminary injunction in California’s existing case against Amazon for price fixing. Attorney General Bonta’s 2022 lawsuit alleged that the company stifled competition and caused increased prices across California through its anticompetitive policies in order to avoid competing on price with other retailers. New evidence paints a clearer and more shocking picture. The motion for a preliminary injunction comes after a robust discovery process where California uncovered evidence of countless interactions in which Amazon, vendors, and Amazon’s competitors agree to increase and fix the prices of products on other retail websites to bolster Amazon’s profits. Time and again, across years and product categories, Amazon has reached out to its vendors and instructed them to increase retail prices on competitors’ websites, threatening dire consequences if vendors do not comply. Vendors, bullied by Amazon’s overwhelming bargaining leverage and fearing punishment, comply — agreeing to raise prices on competitors’ websites (often with the awareness and cooperation of the competing retailer), or to remove products from competing websites altogether. Amazon’s goal is to insulate itself from price competition by preventing lower retail prices in the market at the expense of American consumers who are already struggling with a crisis of affordability.
Meanwhile in Canada, if something falls into a niche good luck finding it in person. It’s getting beyond frustrating trying to buy in person to avoid Amazon, then finding out that nowhere carries it and having to order from Amazon anyway.
That’s what we get when Canada is a handful of monopolies in a trenchcoat instead of a country.
I’d assume because in general we have smaller cities. I used to be big into RC stuff (remote control boat and car) and there were hobby shops around. All gone, or converted into old people hobby supplies only (macramé, bead work, hook rugs, etc)
I got all my shit on Hobbyking and aliexpress.
I also get my dental floss, electric toothbrush heads, and underwear on aliexpress. So it works both ways, the local retailers aren’t getting my money.