Arizona AG Mayes and Small Business Owners Take On Corporate Power in Phoenix

  • Oct 7, 2026
  • Lauren Gellatly
    •
  • Article
  • Independent Business
  • Antimonopoly
  • Antitrust
  • Monopolies
  • Small Business
  • Democratic Governance
  • Economic Justice
    •

    CALL TO SMALL BUSINESS ACTION
    Tell the FTC: Don’t drop. Don’t settle. Hold Amazon accountable for its harms

    It’s not easy or convenient for small businesses to step away from operating their business, but bringing them together with antitrust enforcers and policy leaders is crucial for identifying enforcement actions and legislation to help level the playing field. Co-hosted by Local First Arizona (LFA) and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), “Confronting Corporate Power — The Fight for Small Businesses in an Age of Consolidation,” gathered small business owners, community advocates, congressional staff, and antitrust leaders in late September to share their stories, exchange ideas, and build momentum for the growing anti-monopoly movement.

    Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who is taking on some of the country’s most powerful corporations, from Amazon to Live Nation-Ticketmaster, brought that fight to a packed room at Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix, Ariz. In her keynote, AG Mayes highlighted antitrust actions her office is taking to ensure Arizona’s small businesses have access to fair markets, including against Amazon, Zillow and Redfin in the housing market; Paramount and Warner Bros in the media sector; and Live Nation and Ticketmaster in the live entertainment industry.

    The event gave local business owners a space to share with leaders how corporate consolidation is squeezing them out of their own markets. They voiced frustrations about corporate power, from corporate “middlemen” extracting excessive fees and acting as market gatekeepers to Amazon’s dominance and big delivery platforms like DoorDash.

    Their small business stories prompted action, including AG Mayes’s announcement at the event that she will convene a working group, with Local First AZ’s partnership, to tackle the growing capture of public purchasing.

    Several people sit in a crowd, one of whom is asking a question into a microphone
    The event gave local business owners a space to share with leaders how corporate consolidation is squeezing them out of their own markets.
    Local First AZ CEO Kimber Lanning moderates a small business panel discussion with Teresa Dickinson from Melrose Pharmacy, Stephanie Vasquez from Fair Trade Cafe, and Peter Drozdowicz from Wist Office Products.
    Local First AZ CEO Kimber Lanning moderated a small business panel discussion with Teresa Dickinson from Melrose Pharmacy, Stephanie Vasquez from Fair Trade Cafe, and Peter Drozdowicz from Wist Office Products. They shared how their businesses are being devastated by the corporate takeover at the top, highlighting predatory practices from middlemen pharmacy benefit managers, excessive credit card swipe fees, dominant food delivery platforms, and the growing capture of public purchasing contracts by large corporations.
    ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell speaks at a podium in front of a seated crowd.
    ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell gave an overview of the current consolidation landscape and the most pressing issues blocking fair markets, including Amazon’s monopoly power over eCommerce and the retail landscape broadly. Stacy pointed to the current federal antitrust lawsuit brought by states and the Federal Trade Commission against Amazon. "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to meaningfully address Amazon’s monopoly."
    Local First AZ CEO Kimber Lanning speaks into a microphone while seated at a tall table.
    Local First AZ CEO Kimber Lanning closed the event highlighting the need for policymakers and regulators to enforce the current antitrust laws we have on the books, how corporate consolidation limits our choices, and how anticompetitive tactics raise prices across the economy for all Americans.

    Additional ILSR Events Galvanizing Small Businesses

    All image credits: Local First Arizona 

    Further Reading

  •