Philadelphia, PA – December 23, 2025 – Grabar Law Office announced today that it has filed a federal antitrust class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against PepsiCo and Walmart on behalf of merchants and retailers who directly purchased Pepsi soft drink products from PepsiCo.
Plaintiff, Redner’s Markets, Inc. a family and employee-owned business which operates 44 Grocery Stores and 24 Quick Stops throughout Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware, alleges that PepsiCo and Walmart entered into anticompetitive agreements that distorted wholesale and retail pricing for Pepsi soft drinks nationwide, forcing grocery stores, convenience stores, and other retailers to pay artificially inflated prices. According to the complaint, these practices suppressed competition, disadvantaged independent and regional merchants, and ultimately raised prices paid by consumers outside of Walmart stores.
“Antitrust laws exist to ensure that markets remain competitive and that powerful companies do not use their size or influence to rig prices,” said Joshua H. Grabar, founder of Grabar Law Office. “This case seeks to hold accountable conduct that, as alleged, prevented fair competition and forced merchants to pay higher prices than they would have in a competitive marketplace.”
The complaint asserts that, beginning as early as 2018, PepsiCo allegedly raised wholesale prices to retailers that compete with Walmart, while monitoring and policing retail prices to ensure those competitors could not undercut Walmart’s pricing. The action follows public disclosures and reporting concerning pricing practices in the soft drink market and seeks both monetary damages and injunctive relief to restore competitive conditions.
Grabar Law Office filed the case on behalf of direct purchasers of Pepsi soft drink products, including grocery stores and other retailers across the United States that bought directly from PepsiCo during the relevant period. The lawsuit seeks treble damages under the federal antitrust laws and an order enjoining the alleged unlawful conduct.
“This case is about protecting competition at the wholesale level,” Grabar added. “When competition is restrained, merchants suffer, consumers pay more, and the integrity of the marketplace is undermined. Our goal is to ensure that retailers have a fair opportunity to compete and that prices are set by market forces—not anticompetitive agreements.”
A copy of the filed complaint can be viewed here:
About Grabar Law Office
Grabar Law Office is a nationally recognized plaintiffs’ law firm focused on antitrust, shareholder, and complex commercial litigation. The firm represents businesses, institutional investors, and consumers harmed by anticompetitive conduct, corporate misconduct, and unfair business practices. Grabar Law Office has served as counsel in numerous federal class and derivative actions across the United States.
For more information, contact Joshua H. Grabar, Esq. at jgrabar@grabarlaw.com or (267) 507-6085.
