Price Gouging Considerations in the Wake of COVID-19
Historically, complaints regarding price gouging have arisen following hurricanes, tornados or other natural disasters. These disasters usually affect a limited geographic area and lead to local price increases for food, supplies or gasoline at brick-and-mortar retailers. However, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has resulted in a wave of price gouging complaints in the context of a worldwide public health emergency. COVID-19 price gouging complaints present new challenges because of the combination of the global reach of internet commerce businesses and the global effects of COVID-19.