Kroger, Albertsons to sell nearly 600 stores as part of merger: see which locations are at risk

A list of nearly 600 grocery stores across the country that are at risk of being sold as part of a pending merger between Kroger and Albertsons has been released.

The list includes 579 store locations across 18 states and Washington, D.C. that the companies have offered to sell in an effort to get approval from antitrust regulators who attempted to block the $24.6 billion merger earlier in 2024.

States with the largest number of stores at risk are Washington with 124, Arizona with 101, Colorado with 91 and California with 63, according to a list published by the Cincinnati Business Courier . Most stores are in markets where the two companies have significant overlap.

Stores at risk by state (see exact locations here )
• Alaska - 18
• Arizona - 101
• California - 63
• Colorado - 91
• Delaware - 1
• Idaho - 10
• Illinois - 35
• Louisiana - 2
• Maryland - 4
• Montana - 2
• Nevada - 16
• New Mexico - 9
• Oregon - 62
• Texas - 28
• Utah - 4
• Virginia - 3
• Washington - 124
• Washington, D.C. - 1
• Wyoming - 5

If the merger is approved, stores on the list -- along with their fuel centers and pharmacies -- will be divested to C&S Wholesale Grocers, which operates the Piggly Wiggly supermarket chain. Some stores will retain their current names while others will be re-bannered after the sale.

Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen previously stressed that no stores would close as a result of the merger and that all frontline associates would remain employed, all existing collective bargaining agreements would continue, and associates would continue to receive health care and pension benefits alongside bargained-for wages.

As part of the deal, Kroger also plans to sell distribution centers in Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Washington, along with a dairy plant in Denver, to C&S.

Kroger operates thousands of stores across 36 states, which includes regional banners such as Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, King Soopers and Quality Food Centers. Albertsons also operates thousands of stores across 35 states under regional names including Haggen, Jewel-Osco, Pavilions, Safeway and Vons.

If the merger is approved, Kroger and Albertsons would operate more than 5,000 stores and approximately 4,000 retail pharmacies across 48 states, and would employ nearly 700,000 employees.

In February, the Federal Trade Commission and nine states filed a lawsuit to block the merger, arguing that it would give the newly combined company control of about 13% of the U.S. grocery market, eliminating competition and leading to higher grocery prices for millions of Americans. A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 26.