While Amazon has not explicitly linked these brand cuts to the impending FTC lawsuit, the timing raises speculation. The company is set to engage in discussions with FTC chair Lina Khan and commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya, a meeting seen as a last-ditch effort to address the agency’s concerns before a filing decision is made.
The anticipated lawsuit stems from a four-year investigation into Amazon’s practices and alleged anticompetitive behavior. Central to the FTC’s scrutiny is Amazon’s interactions with third-party sellers and the potential leveraging of internal data to create in-house products. The company had previously agreed to modify its practices, including refraining from elevating its in-house brands in search results, which could potentially disadvantage third-party sellers.
