25 signatures reached
To: Pool Retailers, Pool Service Companies, Business Owners & the FTC Bureau of Competition
"On this Episode of American Greed, PoolCorp Quietly Buying up Retail"
As early as Nov. 29th 2021 the FTC is investigating 9 large companies, to include entities such as Walmart and Amazon, in an effort to understand if supply-chain disruption is a leading factor in product shortages, anti-competitive practices and/or contributing to rising consumer prices. PoolCorp needs to be company # 10 with a full investigation into its recent business practices, specifically, the Purchase of the 2nd Largest Swimming Pool Retail Chain as well as the largest Swimming Pool Retail Store Franchise Company in the world.
The goal of this petition is to get a feel for what other individuals, leaders per se, influencers within the swimming pool industry have to say about what it means to have the worlds largest Swimming Pool Distributor, PoolCorp, secretly buying up Retail Companies. PoolCorp has already implemented this Business Strategy by becoming the 2nd largest Swimming Pool Retailer in the world. We need as many signatures as possible supporting the position against allowing a Distributor to Control the Retail Industry it distributes too..
Why is this important?
PoolCorp is no stranger to the FTC. In fact, in and around 2011 the Federal Trade Commission voted 3-1 approving a complaint and consent order against PoolCorp. In the complaint it alleged PoolCorp threatened Manufacturers not to sell to its competitors over an 8 year pressure campaign. It is important to note that the FTC approves a complaint when it has "reason to believe" that the law has been or is being violated. With that said the FTC agreed to a consent order which did not require PoolCorp to admit, nor was it a finding of wrong doing. What it did do is outline specific actions that PoolCorp has to abide by in the future interactions, specifically instructing PoolCorp to avoid any anti-competitive practices. So PoolCorp tried and failed to Control the Manufacturing side of the supply chain. With only a mere slap on the wrist by the FTC. PoolCorp has patiently waited and now recently implemented the only other alternative way to achieve what they set out to do initially back in 2002-2011. They now are disrupting the supply chain management structure by attempting to control and Monopolize the transaction of tons of swimming pool products from Manufacturer to Distributor, from Distributor to Trade Professional, and from Distributor to the End User.
How it will be delivered
Once there are an acceptable number of signatures the list will be attached to the complaint filed with the FTC's Bureau of Competition whom works with the Bureau of Economics to investigate alleged anticompetitive business practices and, when appropriate, recommends that the Commission take law enforcement action.