Almost half of the Alaska Legislature has signed a letter opposing a merger of two grocery chains that could lead to hundreds of layoffs and the closure of local stores. of Kroger — which owns Alaska’s 12 Fred Meyer stores — and Albertsons, which owns 35 Safeway grocery stores in the state, could limit competition in Alaska, driving up prices.
The lawmakers opposing the merger include Republicans like Sens. Robert Myers, R-North Pole, and Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage; as well as Democrats like Rep. Donna Mears, D-Anchorage, and Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau. the merger, as has U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, also “We write to express our deep concerns about the agreement and the potential impacts the proposed merger will have on Alaskans.
That’s intensified concerns here because of what happened when Safeway bought Alaska-based Carrs grocery stores in 1999 for $330 million.