Federal judge temporarily halts proposed Kroger and Albertsons supermarket merger

FILE - A grocery cart rests in a cart return area with a sign for Albertsons grocery store in the background on Aug. 26, 2024, in Lake Oswego, Ore. earlier this year, asking Nelson to block the $24.6 billion deal until an in-house administrative judge at the FTC could consider the merger’s implications.

The FTC argued that Kroger and Albertsons currently compete in 22 states, closely matching each other on price, quality, private label products and services like store pickup. A merger would, the government said. The FTC also said the merger would hurt workers since Kroger and Albertsons would no longer compete to hire them.

But Kroger and Albertsons argued their merger would preserve consumer choice by allowing them to better compete against its growing rivals. In its testimony,that it might have to lay off workers, close stores and even exit some markets if the merger weren't allowed to proceed.The FTC argued that C&S is ill-prepared to take on the stores and may want the option to sell or close them. But Kroger and Albertsons said C&S has the experience and national scale to handle the divestiture.

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