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The Kroger Company and Albertsons Companies, Inc. are trying to merge, but their deal has always been delayed. This is because many groups and states do not favor the deal.
In the most recent development, it was reported that Colorado's attorney general filed a lawsuit to stop the Kroger and Albertsons merger. According to The Seattle Times, Attorney General Phil Weiser sued to block the proposed deal worth $25 billion.
Grounds for the Lawsuit
The Colorado AG explained that the acquisition would only leave several communities in the region with less grocery access. Weiser added that the proposal to unload some stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers will not compensate for the lost competition once Kroger and Albertsons are combined.
He added that the merger will negatively affect the grocery market in Colorado. He filed the lawsuit at a local court on Wednesday, Feb. 14, making Colorado the second state to reject and challenge the merger deal.
Benefits of the Merger
To explain to the public that the merger of Kroger and Albertsons is not bad, the former outlined the benefits that could be enjoyed after the unification. Kroger mainly pointed out that prices of goods will become cheaper for all customers.
The Kroger Co. said it has also lowered prices in its previous mergers because this is one of the company's commitments to shoppers: to offer goods to more consumers across the United States at lower prices. It also said that the stores' choices will expand if the proposed merger with Albertsons is completed.
Moreover, Kroger said they would become more competitive, and by blending with Albertsons, they could invest further to support customers and their more than 700,000 associates. The company insists that the merger will help attract and retain customers since the prices are lower, the selections are wide, and the items are always fresh.
"We believe the way to be America's best grocer is to provide great value by consistently lowering prices and offering more choices. When we do this, more customers shop with us and buy more groceries, which allows us to reinvest in even lower prices, a better shopping experience, and higher wages," Kroger's chairman and chief executive officer, Rodney McMullen, said in a press release this week. "We know this model works because we've been doing it successfully for many years, and this is exactly what this merger will bring customers – lower prices and more fresh, affordable choices."
Photo by: MikeKalasnik/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
