IT’S TIME TO MODERNIZE WISCONSIN’S DEPRESSION-ERA “BELOW COST LAW” 

The Unfair Sales Act, also known as the “below cost law,” was originally passed in 1939 and requires all Wisconsin businesses to price most products above their cost. The law applies to almost all goods, including groceries, pharmacy products such as prescription drugs and general merchandise.

The result: Wisconsin customers are paying artificially higher prices at the checkout counter than nearly all other Americans.

BECAUSE OF BELOW COST, WISCONSIN SHOPPERS CANNOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF “DOORBUSTER SALES” 

Because of this archaic law, Wisconsin customers cannot get deals as good as customers in other states, or customers shopping online. This prohibits major sales events such as Black Friday, back-to-school and other promotions that help shoppers stretch their dollars.

Wisconsin residents must to go across the border to states such as Minnesota or Illinois to take advantage of major seasonal sales — which also hurts Wisconsin retailers.

FOR WISCONSIN CUSTOMERS, BELOW COST LEADS TO HIGHER PRICES DURING THE HOLIDAYS 

Below cost forces Wisconsin customers to pay more for gifts during the holiday season, and because of below cost, shoppers are also forced to pay more for the groceries they need for holiday dinners and events. Below cost also makes it difficult for Wisconsin’s Main Street retailers to compete against the holiday deals shoppers can increasingly find online