FTC Forces Pricing Changes in Gildan, S&S Activewear Deal
The FTC secured changes to a wholesale T-shirt distribution agreement to shield small businesses from discriminatory pricing under the Robinson-Patman Act.
The Federal Trade Commission has intervened in a partnership agreement between T-shirt manufacturer Gildan Activewear SRL and wholesale distributor S&S Holdings LLC, securing modifications aimed at preventing unfair and discriminatory pricing practices that regulators say harm small businesses and consumers.
The agency's action centers on enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act, a decades-old federal law that prohibits manufacturers and distributors from offering preferential pricing to select buyers in ways that disadvantage smaller competitors. The FTC's move signals that the agency intends to continue pressing Robinson-Patman cases as a tool for leveling the playing field in wholesale distribution markets.
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Gildan Activewear is a major manufacturer in the wholesale blank apparel sector, and S&S Holdings operates as a significant distributor within that supply chain. The terms of the revised partnership agreement, as outlined by the commission, are designed to ensure that smaller buyers face pricing structures comparable to those offered to larger, more powerful purchasers.
The enforcement action reflects a broader regulatory posture at the FTC, where officials have in recent years revisited antitrust and pricing-fairness statutes that saw limited use for several decades. Observers note that renewed Robinson-Patman enforcement could reshape how manufacturers structure distribution deals across a range of consumer goods industries beyond apparel.
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