TTB: Category Mgmt Ruling Intended to “Level the Playing Field”

Last week, the The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) handed down its blockbuster ruling on retail category management and tied-house laws. Our basic assessment of the ruling is that providing retailers with a recommended shelf plan is the only exception to the tied house rule that states suppliers and distributors cannot legally provide things of value to a retailer. However, in reviewing the current marketplace, the TTB determined that there are an unspecified number of industry members