Christian retailers, long besieged by the lower prices available through big-box stores and online retailers, have asked the Department of Justice to investigate what they call “illegal, predatory pricing” by Amazon.com, Target and Wal-Mart.
The CBA, the umbrella group for the Christian retail industry, is especially worried about pre-sales of new books by popular authors. In a Dec. 1 letter to federal officials, the group cited Stephen King’s new “Under the Dome,” which typically retails for as much as $35, costs store owners $17.50 but was sold for between $8.98 and $9 by the three retailers.
“Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, and Target are using predatory pricing practices in what appears to be an attempt to control the market for hardcover best-sellers,” the CBA board of directors wrote in the letter to the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.
Read the rest here:
RNS Feature: “Christian retailers seek federal probe of competitors”.
And a take on it here:
January 25th, 2010 5:37 pm
I just bought six books from Christianbook.com (fourth purchase in as many months), while I haven’t bought from Amazon or BN in over a year. Talk about predatory pricing! :p
January 25th, 2010 6:30 pm
I don’t think I’ve ever bought a one from them. Not sure how I like this thought, so I’ll watch and wait.
January 26th, 2010 12:38 am
Heard at a Wal*Mart near you: “Your bookses belongs to uses.”
Rumors that the comment was made by a tabby cat before climbing into a Dalek pepper pot are unconfirmed….
January 26th, 2010 1:41 am
There is something called the free market, which some Christians believed in. They are just wanting a monopoly. that is not freedom. It is not walmart’s fault that the CBA has some bad businesses desperate for government intervention.
January 26th, 2010 2:17 pm
Wal*Mart has engaged in the practice of “loss leaders” (selling products below cost in order to drive business which then makes up the loss) for decades, and have won court cases involving the practice.
Precedent would seem to be on the discounters side. Thus, the antitrust approach.
February 5th, 2010 8:31 pm
[...] – Christian retailers seek federal probe of competitors Christian book companies angry at Wal-Mart and Amazon.com because people are seeing the light in [...]