US LAWS, STATUTES & CODES ON-LINE

I dissent from the Commission's decision today to amend the Retail Food Store Advertising and Marketing Practices Trade Regulation Rule (the Unavailability Rule). The Commission has acknowledged today that the original Unavailability Rule is not justified, and approved amendments designed to lower its costs to grocers. However, in my view, common sense tells us that in the highly competitive grocery store business, where consumers return week after week to the same store, any supermarket that frustrates its customers through unavailability of advertised items will not long keep those customers. In other words, it is clear to me that existing market forces adequately police unavailability, and that, therefore, no Federal Trade Commission rule is necessary, amended or otherwise. The Commission's action today to retain even an amended Unavailability Rule does not conform to common sense.

Statement of Commissioner Andrew J. Strenio, Jr., Retail Food Store Advertising and Marketing Practices Rule

Although revising the “Unavailability Rule” has a certain intuitive appeal, there is insufficient evidence on the record to conclude that these changes will result in net consumer benefits. Accordingly, I could not support amending the Rule in this manner. However, now that the step has been taken, it is to be hoped that experience will bear out the optimistic expectations of the Commission majority.