RNDC and Provi Settle Lawsuit
Republic National Distributing Company LLC (RNDC) and Provi, a B2B digital marketplace for the beverage alcohol industry, reached a mutually satisfactory resolution of a previous lawsuit and are developing an integration that will allow retailers to place orders into Provi’s digital platform.
In March 2022, Provi filed a lawsuit against distributors RNDC and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, alleging they had violated antitrust laws. Provi claimed the companies had made efforts to ‘maintain or enhance their respective monopoly power’ in online alcohol marketplaces, search and display advertising on online alcohol marketplaces and data analytics services in certain states.
Provi asserted that some of the actions included blocking and rejecting orders for wine and spirits when retailers select Provi, and ‘forcing or coercing retailers not to use Provi’.
Now, more than three years after the case was filed, Provi and RNDC have reached a ‘mutually satisfactory resolution’ to the lawsuit. Southern Glazer’s also reached an agreement with Provi, settling their lawsuit in April this year.
RNDC Enhances Retailer Connectivity
This collaboration will provide licensed retailers across U.S. markets served by RNDC with enhanced access to the distributor’s portfolio via Provi’s marketplace, according to the company.
“Our purpose is to serve the evolving needs of our partners– our associates, suppliers, customers and the broader industry,” said Bob Hendrickson, president and CEO of RNDC, in a news release. “This agreement reflects our continued focus on smart, practical innovation that enhances how we serve the industry. By partnering with Provi, we will give customers more flexibility in how they work with us, while maintaining the reliability and consistency they expect from RNDC.”
“We are excited to work alongside the RNDC team to advance our shared vision for the industry,” added Taylor Katzman, founder and CEO of Provi. “Provi and RNDC are committed to improving the beverage alcohol space while supporting the evolving needs of retailers and their distributor partners – within the framework of the three-tier system. This strategic relationship brings us closer to building a more efficient and connected industry.”
This integration will complement RNDC’s existing e-commerce platform eRNDC by adding Provi as an additional digital channel for accessing RNDC’s portfolio, according to the company. The integration will also allow retailers to submit orders directly to RNDC through Provi, offering greater flexibility and improving efficiency while preserving existing relationships and workflows.
The RNDC-Provi integration is expected to roll out later this year.
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