Grocery chain Kroger announced plans Friday to buy competitor Albertsons for $24.6 billion, potentially creating a grocery empire spread across the U.S.
The two companies together have more than 710,000 employees and nearly 5,000 stores. Both have stores under numerous brand names. Albertsons operates Safeway and Vons, and Kroger operates Ralphs, King Soopers, Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer and others.Albertsons has a strong presence in the western United States, especially in California. Kroger, which operates across the country, said the combined company would have a presence in 48 states and D.C.
The deal is unlikely to significantly impact food prices for shoppers, Saunders said. Kroger still has to compete with Walmart, Costco, Amazon and local chains, in addition to facing the pressure of inflation. Combining some operations could create some savings for the company, in his view. “I don’t think it will make things worse,” he said. “They don’t have the scope to increase prices with impunity.”“This merger advances our commitment to build a more equitable and sustainable food system by expanding our footprint into new geographies to serve more of America with fresh and affordable food and accelerates our position as a more compelling alternative to larger and nonunion competitors,” Kroger chief executive Rodney McMullen said in a statement.
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