Buyer Alliances as Countervailing Power in WIC Infant-Formula Auctions

US government agencies in WIC infant-formula procurement auctions receive lower bids and final prices when they are in buyer’s alliances than when they are unallied. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) uses an auction to procure infant formula. Manufacturers bid on the right to be an agency’s sole supplier by offering a rebate on formula sold through WIC. This paper investigates whether bidders are more aggressive when buyers band together to jointly offer infant formula contracts. Results suggest that WIC agencies that band together to form an alliance receive stronger bids.