U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren Seeks Regulatory Scrutiny Of Walmart/Vizio Acquisition

February 23, 2024

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) (Shutterstock image)

ERIK GRUENWEDEL Media Play News

February 23, 2024

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is advocating that federal regulators scrutinize Walmart’s $2.3 billion acquisition of Irvine, Calif.-based consumer electronics manufacturer Vizio.

In a Feb. 23 social media post, Warren, a longtime consumer advocate, suggests Walmart’s purchase of Vizio could stifle competition, which she believes ultimately hurts consumers.

“@Walmart‘s deal with @VIZIO is a warning bell,” Warren wrote on her X (formerly Twitter) post. “Giant corporations are copying @Amazon’s playbook: buy or kill competitors in commerce, entertainment, and advertising. Regulators should scrutinize whether this merger will extend Walmart’s dominance and threaten competition.”

Three years ago, Warren led an unsuccessful attempt to break up Amazon, claiming the ecommerce behemoth unfairly quashed competitors, resulting in a market stranglehold.

“You can either be the umpire or a player on the field. But you can’t be both. That’s what Amazon does,” Warren said in a 2021 media interview. “What’s the solution here? Break Amazon up.”

The Walmart/Vizio transaction is subject to the usual government regulatory approval required for any major publicly-traded business merger.

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