Rep. Michael Rulli, a Republican who owns Rulli Bros. grocery stores in Ohio, expressed concerns about Vice President Kamala Harris' proposal to crack down on grocery price gouging, arguing that it would harm small businesses and limit consumer choice.
Rep. Michael Rulli, a first-term Republican who owns a small chain of grocery stores in Ohio, is deeply concerned about Vice President Kamala Harris' proposal to implement price controls on groceries. Rulli believes the plan would be detrimental to family-owned businesses like his and would result in a significant reduction in product availability for consumers.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Rulli explained that net profit margins in the grocery industry are razor-thin, typically ranging between 1.5% and 1.75%. He emphasized that the already challenging operating environment has been exacerbated by inflationary pressures in recent years.
Ohio Grocery Store Owner Denounces Kamala Harris' Price Control Plan
Rulli pointed to the example of a bottle of Tide laundry detergent, explaining that if the Biden-Harris administration were to mandate a price freeze on such items, Procter & Gamble, the manufacturer, would likely simply stop producing that particular product. He argued that this phenomenon would extend to a wide range of items, leading to a significant decline in the variety of products available to consumers.
"Well, why would that matter to your viewers?" Rulli said. "It's going to matter to your viewers, because this is the luxury of living in the United States of America, where the average blue-collar worker, Joe Bag of Donuts, would have an opportunity to buy some nice things in life."
Ohio Grocery Store Owner Denounces Kamala Harris' Price Control Plan
Rulli warned that under a price control regime, the number of different products carried by grocery stores would plummet, resulting in a stark reduction in consumer choice. He compared this scenario to the limited availability of goods in totalitarian regimes such as Cuba and Venezuela.
Rulli's concerns come as Harris rolls out her presidential platform ahead of the upcoming midterm elections in November. The proposal to ban food price gouging is part of her broader agenda to address inflation and protect consumers.
Ohio Grocery Store Owner Denounces Kamala Harris' Price Control Plan
However, critics of the plan argue that it would stifle economic growth and damage small businesses. The National Grocers Association, which represents independent grocers, has condemned the proposal as "a solution in search of a problem."
Rulli emphasized that independent grocery stores are already struggling to survive amidst rising costs and intense competition. He argued that price controls would only compound these challenges, leading to widespread business closures and further consolidation in the grocery industry.
Ohio Grocery Store Owner Denounces Kamala Harris' Price Control Plan
"Many of these smaller and independent grocery stores will go out of business," Rulli said. "You’ve already seen it happening gradually over the last 20 or 30 years, but I would say just recently within the 80-mile circumference I’m sitting in right now, there’s been five grocery stores that have gone out of business in the last two years."
The Harris campaign has not yet responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
