Kevin McDaniel, a partner and owner-operator of Piggly Wiggly Food For Less, brought the independent grocer perspective to the Oval Office Thursday during a White House event on federal refrigerant regulations and their impact on grocery stores, equipment costs, and food affordability.
The EPA announced two actions on May 21 involving the 2023 Technology Transitions Rule and the 2024 Emissions Reduction and Reclamation Rule. According to the EPA, the changes are projected to save American families and businesses more than $2.4 billion, including more than $800 million in supermarket-related savings and up to $1.5 billion for refrigerated goods transportation if the proposed transportation-related fix is finalized.
For independent grocers like Piggly Wiggly Food For Less, the issue comes down to whether federal rules give family-owned businesses a realistic path to comply without forcing sudden, extraordinary equipment costs that ultimately affect grocery prices, local jobs, and food access in the communities they serve.
During the Oval Office event, Kevin McDaniel spoke about the financial and operational impact the previous rule would have had on independent grocers. “It’s not just a refrigerant change,” McDaniel said. “It was an equipment change.” He explained that for stores ranging from 25,000 to 50,000 square feet, the cost of a change-out could run from “$800,000 to a million and a half dollars per store.”
Today’s discussion is part of a broader advocacy effort by the McDaniel family to protect independent grocery stores and the communities they serve. Two years ago, Kevin and his brother and co-owner, Cody McDaniel, traveled to Washington, D.C., with a National Grocers Association delegation to meet with senators about unfair trade practices and the lack of enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act, a federal antitrust law intended to address certain forms of price discrimination. Cody also provided testimony to the Federal Trade Commission on how these issues affect family-owned grocery businesses.
In his FTC testimony, Cody described the pricing disadvantages independent grocers face when large retailers are allowed to buy products on more favorable terms. He told the FTC that independent grocers operate at “such a disadvantage due to manufacturers having one price floor set for retailers like me and a much lower one for large retail chains,” adding, “Whenever my competitor is setting my cost, there’s a problem.”
The National Grocers Association has repeatedly argued that independent grocers operate on thin margins while facing pressure from rising labor, rent, utilities, swipe fees, regulatory costs, and unfair competition from dominant retailers with greater buying power. NGA has called for renewed enforcement of the Robinson Patman Act, stating that anticompetitive behaviors and price discrimination can increase costs for independent grocers and the communities they serve.
McDaniel’s Piggly Wiggly Food For Less supports responsible environmental progress, fair competition, and practical regulation. The company believes modernization should be achievable without creating unnecessary cost shocks for small and independent businesses.
Media Contact:
Gena McDaniel
Communications Director
Gmcdaniel@foodforless.net