University of Arizona Law Student Connor Nolan Presents Paper at Yale Antitrust Conference

Currently in the United States, there are more dollar stores than CVS, Walmart, Kroger, Rite Aid, Albertsons, Aldi, Target, and Costco stores combined. That unprecedented growth of dollar stores in highly rural and urban communities caught the attention of third-year University of Arizona Law student Connor Nolan, who presented his paper on the subject at Yale Law School’s Reforming America’s Food Retail Markets on March 12. The conference explores how antitrust enforcement and competition policy can improve food retail markets in America. 

Nolan’s paper focuses on the negative effects created by dollar stores that move into communities with limited access to affordable, nutritious food. As a large chain retailer with more power to negotiate cheaper prices, dollar stores contribute to the closing of grocery stores and local shops that offer jobs, fresh foods and healthier products. 

Although dollar stores are affordable for customers, they rarely offer food beyond highly processed options.  

Nolan’s paper also looks at the role of antitrust law in the rapid growth of dollar stores. 

“My paper discusses how antitrust law failed to curb growth and evaluates what role, if any, antitrust law can play in solving those issues,” said Nolan.  

Arizona Law Professor Barak Orbach, internationally recognized for his work and expertise in antitrust, corporate governance, regulation, and the digital economy, advised Nolan as he prepared and drafted his paper for the conference.  

“He provided me with great feedback,” said Nolan. “He has the technical expertise on antitrust law.” 

Nolan, who grew up in a small rural community in Iowa, explains that the developments explored in his paper are particularly troublesome, given that many of the communities facing food shortages are states  that are top agricultural producers.  

“I find it wrong, how these areas that produce fresh food can’t access that same food they are producing,” said Nolan.  

This is the second time that Nolan has presented at Yale Law School’s Reforming America’s Food Retail Markets conference. Last year, he presented his Arizona Law Review note about dairy farms dumping milk and farms plowing vegetables during the onset of the pandemic.  

“It was wrong, in a pandemic, when you know there is going to be food insecurity and you are wasting food,” said Nolan, who was inspired to write the paper after reading an article in the New York Times. “It pushed me to look into our agricultural systems and where they are falling short.” 

Nolan said it is important to him to write about these issues because they affect so many people and communities. 

“It is an issue that can connect communities where you may not see that connection right away,” said Nolan.