State attorney generals solicit antitrust complaints against beverage bottlers

Automatic Merchandiser, August, 1998

STATE ATTORNEY GENERALS IN AT LEAST SIX STATES HAVE BEEN EXAMINING problems that vending operators and beverage wholesalers have had with bottlers pricing and competitive practices, and encourage operators to contact them. Jennifer Pratt, assistant attorney general in Ohio, said she and other attorney generals have been sharing information about bottlers' competitive practices.

Characterizing their efforts to date as in the 'preliminary investigatory stage,' she said vending operators should contact attorney generals with information. Pratt said the attorney generals want to see if a pattern of antitrust activity exists, if it exists to a serious extent, and if it merits multi-state legal action. Pratt said her own office began to look at the issue when an Ohio...