Slate, July 2024
For many Americans, their wallets will help inform their vote this November. Specifically, how much they’re spending on groceries. A pending $25 billion merger between Kroger and Albertsons—two of the country’s largest grocery chains—would also drastically affect how Americans get their groceries. Combined, the company would be the second-largest grocery chain in the country, trailing only Walmart. In October 2022, when the two companies announced their intent to merge, it immediately raised a red flag for members of Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, consumer rights organizations, and labor activists.
Their respective CEOs eventually testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The FTC stepped in, and a bipartisan group of attorneys general filed a lawsuit to block the merger. Opponents argue that the merger could hinder grocery buyers’ choices, eliminate competition, and lead to lower-quality products for consumers.
