Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and Provi have settled their long-running antitrust dispute, ending a three-year legal battle that centered on who controls digital access to the $300 billion U.S. alcohol distribution market.
In a joint statement issued Wednesday, the companies said they had reached a resolution in their litigation and confirmed that “Provi’s marketplace is now a permitted form of ordering for the Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits beverage alcohol portfolio.” The agreement allows retailers, restaurants, and bars to place orders for Southern Glazer’s products directly through Provi’s online platform — a significant shift in an industry that has traditionally relied on proprietary distributor systems and manual processes.
The settlement concludes a federal case filed in 2022 in Chicago, where Provi accused Southern Glazer’s and Republic National Distributing Company of violating antitrust laws by blocking or discouraging retailers from using independent digital marketplaces. Provi alleged that the distributors sought to maintain their dominance by steering customers toward their own online portals, effectively locking out third-party technology providers.
Southern Glazer’s and Republic National denied the allegations, arguing that they were protecting regulatory compliance and product integrity. But a federal judge refused to dismiss the case in 2024, ruling that Provi had presented enough evidence of potential anticompetitive behavior to move forward. Republic National reached its own settlement earlier this year, leaving Southern Glazer’s as the final defendant until this week’s resolution.
For Provi, the outcome marks a major milestone. The Chicago-based company operates the largest online business-to-business marketplace for beverage alcohol in the United States, connecting licensed buyers, distributors, and suppliers in every state. Its platform enables retailers to search product catalogs, compare pricing, and submit orders electronically — functions that, until recently, some of the industry’s largest distributors resisted.
The agreement with Southern Glazer’s now clears a path for nationwide digital ordering across Provi’s platform, including access to one of the most extensive brand portfolios in the world. Southern Glazer’s, a family-owned distributor based in Miami, represents thousands of wine and spirits labels across 47 U.S. markets and Canada. The company employs more than 20,000 people and has long been considered a gatekeeper in how alcohol moves from producers to retailers.
Industry analysts say the settlement reflects growing pressure on distributors to modernize ordering systems such as restaurants and retailers demand the same level of digital convenience that consumers have come to expect in e-commerce. By formally recognizing Provi as a legitimate ordering channel, Southern Glazer’s is signaling that digital marketplaces are becoming part of the infrastructure of alcohol distribution rather than a competitive threat.
The financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and neither company elaborated on any operational changes beyond the statement. Still, the outcome could accelerate digital transformation across an industry where most wholesale transactions are still handled through phone calls, faxes, and proprietary portals.
The resolution comes as Southern Glazer’s faces broader scrutiny from regulators. The Federal Trade Commission filed a separate lawsuit in late 2024 accusing the distributor of price discrimination against smaller retailers — claims the company disputes.
For now, the end of the Provi litigation represents a turning point for both companies and the broader beverage industry. What began as a courtroom fight over digital access has evolved into an acknowledgment that online marketplaces are here to stay — and that the business of selling wine and spirits, long governed by state laws and traditional relationships, is entering its next digital phase.
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