Hon. ___________(name of Senator/Representative) United States Senate (for Senators) United States Congress (for Representatives) Washington DC 20510
Dear Senator/Representative X:
As a locally owned independent businessperson in _______________, ____ (your city and state), I am writing to ask for your help.
It was announced in early November that Barnes & Noble, Inc., the nation�s largest chain bookseller, intends to acquire the Ingram Book Group, the nation�s largest book wholesaler. Most independent bookstores such as ______ (name of your store) rely on Ingram as our primary supplier of books. And, Barnes & Noble - with it�s over 1000 retail locations in virtually every state of the union - is the single largest competitor of independent bookstores in the U.S. If this purchase is allowed to go forward, we will now have to purchase our books from our largest single competitor. It�s as if Texaco and Shell were forced to buy their gasoline from Exxon!
As I understand it, under the provisions of Hart/Scott/Rodino (a 1976 amendment to the Clayton Act), parties involved in mergers and acquisitions of this magnitude are required to file a pre-merger notification with the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission and undergo a waiting period to allow the federal government to review the proposed deal. It is imperative that this review be conducted as thoroughly and as comprehensively as possible to assure that the anticompetitive ramifications of this merger are closely examined.
By concentrating the wholesale distribution - and the retail selling - of books in fewer and fewer hands, not only will the viability and survival of "Main Street" bookstores be further threatened, but the very availability of a wide range of diverse ideas and information to the American public will be compromised. This proposed merger must be stopped.
I ask that you support my efforts (and those of hundreds and hundreds of my bookstore colleagues across the country) to block Barnes & Noble�s proposed acquisition of Ingram. We have already petitioned the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to step forward to block this sale for its potential anticompetitive effect on consumers. Please join me in this effort.
There are - employing an average of 19 people each. Bookstores are an important part of our local economy. We are active members of our community and play a critical role insuring that books - with diverse points of view - always remain available.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at (phone number), or our national association, The American Booksellers Association (contact: Oren Teicher or Len Vlahos, ABA, 800-637-0037). I have attached a fact sheet about the proposed acquisition for your consideration.
Thank you for your consideration. I hope I can count on your support.
