Kroger and Albertsons make a final pitch for merger

Today, September 17th, 2024 Kroger and Albertsons met in court to plead there case on a possible merger of both grocery chains. The federal government urged a U.S. District Court judge to prevent a proposed merger of both Kroger and Albertsons, saying this merger would "almost certainly" only benefit the shareholders not the shoppers themselves.

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The Lawyers for the Federal Trade Commission and for the supermarket chains gave their closing arguments after a three-week hearing on the preliminary injunction. This merger being a $24.6 billion deal, would

"Preserve consumer choice by allowing them to better compete against growing rivals like Walmart, Costco, and Amazon."

Kroger attorney Matt Wolf also stated,

"If we don't do something, the corner grocery store is in real danger."

Adrienne Nelson U.S. District Judge, has the hard task to decide whether to grant the injunction while the FTC's anti-trust complaint goes before an in-house administrative law judge. No further timetable has been set for Nelson's decision.

Kroger and Albertsons proposed what would be the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history in 2022. The FTC alleged the merger would eliminate competition and lead to higher food prices for already struggling customers.