[Discuss] [OT] Re: Discuss - Software Engineering union

[mark at buttery.org (Shirley Márquez Dúlcey)]

On 4/20/2012 9:05 AM, dan at geer.org wrote:
>
> "Monopsony" -- a single buyer (as monopoloy is a single seller)
>
> An executive at Colgate told me that they are down to 15 customers
> and the future is bleak.

Analysts didn't talk about it much, but I believe that's one of the 
biggest reasons why Procter and Gamble bought Gillette. Gillette is one 
of the very few monopsony-proof brands in existence; if Wal-Mart were to 
stop carrying Gillette products, people would go elsewhere to get them 
rather than buying substitutes. They can use that leverage to get more 
favorable treatment for Tide, Mr. Clean, Crest, etc.