Cat Food Price Fixing - Anyone Complain To Their State Attorney?

[remmiebrandt]

I'm just wondering if anyone has written complaint letters to their state attorney general's office about price fixing in the pet food industry?
Its so obvious.
The price is the same every where you go. Fancy feast used to go on sale for 40 cents, then 50 cents - now the stores consider 60 cents a "sale". They all raised their prices simultaneously and they all have sales within a range of a few pennies.
The "premium" brand foods are the same way - they got 90cents so they pushed it to just over a dollar - they we idiots paid the $1.50 they wanted - as the ingredient list got cheaper, and they started using fillers and garbage while hiding behind a "grain free" parade - they pushed the prices up to $1.90.
You can't really price shop either. Because everywhere online and the few major pet food stores still around - seem to have cooperated on what they are all going to charge per brand.
Even cat litter is subject. Dr. Elsey used to be $12 - $10 on sale just 2 years ago. Now the "sale" price is nearly $18. I wrote them and asked what difference has caused a hike of $5 a bag especially the product itself has gotten inconsistent - dustier at times, urine smell coming through other times, pasty clumps hard to clean out - they said they haven't raised their prices to the retailers but they have been mining silica in other mines so sometimes the formula is different as it isn't a precise science.
We're idiots paying this amount of money for dirt for our cats to crap in but the retailers have apparently gotten together to see how far they can push the price until we all stop paying those prices - and they all do it together.
Its price fixing in the pet industry and I'm wondering who else has complained to their attorney general about it - state or federal?

 

[rubysmama]

I don't know anything about price fixing in the pet food industry, but there is a big bread price fixing scandal happening in Canada right now, so I suspect there's price fixing involved in pretty much everything.

 

[Neo_23]

I don't know anything about price fixing in the pet food industry, but there is a big bread price fixing scandal happening in Canada right now, so I suspect there's price fixing involved in pretty much everything.

. I got 2 gift cards out of it though.

 

[FakeGourmet]

It's hard to tease out whether it's price fixing or simply matching prices with another retailer to stay competitive. For instance, right now, you can get Friskies canned in the 5.5 oz cans for .45 virtually everywhere in the area. That's because a lot of folks are pricing the food and will go to the store that has the lowest price. Even Petsmart matches that because you only have to go 2 stores over to the big box hardware store and they are selling it for .45. They are trying to draw in the customers who do not buy expensive brands in the hopes that they will maybe spend the money on pet toys or maybe switch to a more profitable food. Even my vet price matches the prescription food prices with Chewy.com now, which is a boon for their patients who don't shop Chewy.com (I hadn't until now, but my sister put me on to them).

But yeah, most industries have at least one illegal price fixing going on. However, keep in mind that a brand can demand that the store sell their brand for a specific price (like Apple). I think you are more likely to see that happening with these gourmet brands though.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

My 24 pack of Fancy Feast is 15.99 at my grocery store. It is 12.59 on Chewy.com.

You just have to shop around.

I don't see significant differences in litter, though, you are right. I use Dr. E, too.

 

[Neo_23]

My 24 pack of Fancy Feast is 15.99 at my grocery store. It is 12.59 on Chewy.com.

You just have to shop around.

I don't see significant differences in litter, though, you are right. I use Dr. E, too.

Agreed, I actually see a lot of price differences at pet stores. You just have to do some researching.

I think companies give retailers preferred prices and that is probably what you see in most pet stores, but many will sell below the preferred price or put on great discounts.