## Concerns Over Vice President Harris’ Grocery Price Control Initiative
A Republican representative from Ohio, who operates a small chain of grocery stores, has raised alarms about the potential impact of Vice President Kamala Harris’ proposed price control measures on family-owned establishments like his own.
### Insufficient Margins and Growing Challenges
Rep. Michael Rulli articulated the difficulties faced by small grocers in an exclusive discussion with Fox News Digital. He explained, “In our business, profit margins are slim—around 1.5% to nearly 1.75%. For every $100 we process at the register, that’s merely a dollar and fifty cents profit before expenses are accounted for.” He remarked that recent years have been exceptionally tough for the grocery sector.
“This policy could be devastating for our industry,” Rulli added emphatically.
### Historical Context of Price Controls
Rulli recently filled a congressional seat left vacant by retired Rep. Bill Johnson after winning a special election in June. Prior to this role, he served as a state senator and played a vital operational role in Rulli Bros., the grocery enterprise founded by his father in 1917.
To illustrate his concerns regarding harris-communist-economic-policy-handouts/” title=”Trump Slams Harris as 'Full Communist': Critiques Handout-Filled Economic Policy and Her Work Record”>price controls, he referenced Tide laundry detergent from Procter & Gamble: “If federal authorities mandate that P&G maintain Tide’s price at $4.99 indefinitely—say four years—the company may opt not to produce it anymore.” This scenario underscores how restrictive pricing can disrupt supply chains significantly.
### Product Availability and Consumer Choice at Risk
Rulli emphasized that this restriction on product variety could greatly diminish choices for consumers: ”My store features around 38,000 different stock keeping units (SKUs), whereas larger chains manage even more inventory.” He argued this level of variety is essential for Americans who appreciate having access to quality products regardless of income levels.
“If these price regulations persist,” he warned, “the number of available SKUs could plummet to around 5,000—transforming us into something akin to Cuba or Venezuela.”
### The Political Landscape Ahead
As part of her campaign strategy leading up to November’s elections, Harris has introduced pledges aimed at combatting corporate exploitation via food gouging regulations—a move critics argue mirrors tactics used during authoritarian regimes like those seen in Soviet-era countries or modern Venezuela.
Supporters highlight escalating profits among major food companies recently; Hershey’s net gains surged by 62% from 2019-2023 while General Mills and Kraft Heinz each noted substantial growth nearing 48%, according to reporting from *The Wall Street Journal*.
However, associations such as the National Grocers Association criticized her approach as excessively justifiable: “This proposal serves only as a solution searching for an actual problem.”
### Economic Ramifications on Small Businesses
When rolling out her initiative in North Carolina earlier this month, Harris vowed action against corporations unfairly exploiting their customers amid record profits generated within large industries.
Yet Rulli responded pointedly: “Smaller grocers will bear the brunt just as much.” He observed ongoing challenges within independent shops over several decades but noted particularly alarming trends locally—five smaller outlets had shuttered operations within an eighty-mile radius over just two years due primarily to rising costs related largely influenced by inflationary stressors felt across all demographics involved with food retailing businesses today.”
Fox News Digital reached out seeking responses regarding these concerns from representatives associated with Harris’ campaign but had not received immediate feedback.
