Kroger and Albertsons plan merger to combine 2 largest supermarket chains

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October 14th, 2022

In this June 26, 2019, file photo a customer exits a Kroger fueling center in Flowood, Miss. Two of the nation’s largest grocers have agreed to merge in a deal that would help them better compete with Walmart, Amazon and other major companies that have stepped into the grocery business. Kroger on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022 bid $20 billion for Albertsons Companies Inc., or $34.10 per share. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Kroger plans to buy Albertsons for $24.6 billion, a deal that would merge the two largest grocery-store chains in the U.S., the companies said on Friday.

The deal is likely to draw intense scrutiny from federal regulators and critics as it would form a new supermarket colossus at a time of soaring food costs. Grocery prices jumped 13% in September compared to a year ago.

Kroger is the largest supermarket operator in the U.S., with 420,000 employees and more than 2,700 stores, including Ralphs, Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, and King Soopers. Albertsons is the country’s second-largest supermarket company, with 290,000 employees and almost 2,300 stores, including Safeway and Vons.

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