David Dayen: I obtained a letter Albertsons sent to its suppliers

[Ms. Toad]

4. Unfortunately, that is not realistic.

The point is that suppliers can't afford to lose the elephant-in-the-room customers. So they force smaller companies with less bargaining power to pick up the costs Albertson's is refusing to pay.

That's the Walmart game, or the Texas schoolbook game. Both get their way because they are the customers who are too big to turn away.