Big grocery stores profited from pandemic more than smaller rivals, FTC says

Large grocery retailers’ annual profits rose during the COVID-19 pandemic and have remained elevated in the years since, which warrants deeper scrutiny, according to a report released by the Federal Trade Commission. The report collected information confidentially from retail giants Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart Inc. as well as chains like Kroger Co. for an investigation of grocery supply chain disruptions. It concluded the largest grocery stores gained a competitive advantage over smaller rivals. “As the pandemic illustrated, a major shock to the supply chain can have cascading effects on consumers,...