On Monday, a judge at the U.S. District Court of Oregon in Portland will hear arguments to temporarily block the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons grocery chains. The nearly $25 billion deal, which was announced nearly two years ago, would create the largest supermarket chain in U.S. history, with roughly 5,000 stores and 700,000 employees across 48 states. Kroger owns Fred Meyer and QFC, which are familiar to shoppers in the Northwest.
In February, the Federal Trade Commission sued to block the merger, claiming it would hurt workers, stifle competition and raise prices for consumers. Executives at Kroger and Albertsons dispute those claims, saying the merger will result in lower prices and more choices for consumers, and result in no layoffs of “frontline workers.”
On Capitol Hill, opposition to the merger is being led by Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon’s senior Democracitc senator, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington state Democrat. Wyden joins us to share his perspective on the proposed merger.
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