Unfair pricing tactics drive grocery prices higher

ST. PAUL – Dominant corporations are using unfair pricing tactics to hike grocery prices according to a new report funded by the Minnesota Farmers Union Foundation. The report, “The Secret Behind High Grocery Prices,” details anticompetitive tactics that are not only leading to sticker shock at checkout but also harming small businesses and family farmers. “While Minnesota families struggle to keep food on their tables as the result of skyrocketing prices, farmers and independent grocers are not seeing a windfall,” said Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish. “This report highlights the unfair pricing practices used by the dominant players in our food system and helps explain the disconnect between prices consumers pay and prices farmers receive.” The report finds that grocery prices in Minnesota have increased by more than 34 percent since 2020, driving people’s concerns about affordability. The use of anticompetitive measures including surveillance pricing, price discriminati