Court Opinion

ID: 9423635
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-02 23:08:33.489317+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:22:45.231520
License: Public Domain

Mr. Justice Fortas,
concurring.
I agree with the result in this case and I join the Court's opinion. The net of our decision, as I see it, is this. The statute permits a supplier to make payment to retailers for services and facilities only if such pay*359ment or its equivalent is made available to all competing retailers handling the supplier’s product. If they choose to render the same or equivalent service or furnish the same or equivalent facilities, they are entitled to the same payment.* I believe that this result, obviously intended by the Congress, can best be squared with the language of § 2 (d) by the device of regarding the wholesaler and his retail customer as a unit for purposes of that section. The Court is clearly correct in my view in requiring that the opportunity to participate be afforded to the competing retailer, and not merely to the wholesaler. This is the plain thrust and purpose of the section. The supplier may satisfy this obligation by direct dealing with the competing retailer or by arrangement with the wholesaler reasonably designed to transmit to the retailer participation in the program if the retailer chooses to accept.

We need not here consider refinements of the problem — e. g., the duty of the supplier to tailor his offer so that it is within the practical capability of all competing retailers; or negatively, to avoid making an offer which does not permit fair participation by all types of retailers of the product, as a practical matter.