Planned Kroger-Albertsons merger draws investigation from Arizona Attorney General's Office
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office will investigate the proposed merger between supermarket giants Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos., checking for anti-trust violations that could raise grocery prices and looking for signs that store closures or employment changes might harm local communities.
In Arizona, Kroger operates Fry’s Food & Drug Stores and Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, while Albertsons operates supermarkets under the Albertsons and Safeway brands. They account for nearly half of the state’s grocery market sales.
The two companies are major players in the grocery business around the state and nation, raising concerns that the combined corporation could close or divest certain stores, cut jobs or take other potentially detrimental steps.
"In addition to skyrocketing prices, the proposed merger raises questions about the potential for store closures that could force consumers to travel farther for groceries — possibly creating food deserts that disproportionately affect minority communities,” Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a prepared statement.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/planned-kroger-albertsons-merger-draws-investigation-from-arizona-attorney-general-s-office/ar-AA17AiNP