Judges in state and federal courts issued rulings on Dec. 10 blocking a proposed merger between supermarket chains Albertsons and Kroger.
Oregon District Judge Adrienne Nelson and Washington’s King County Superior Court Judge Marshall Ferguson both said the merger would have anti-competitive effects.
“On balance, the Court finds that both qualitative and quantitative evidence shows that defendants engage in substantial head-to-head competition and the proposed merger would remove that competition,” Nelson said in an order on Dec. 10.
“As a result, the proposed merger is likely to lead to unilateral competitive effects and is presumptively unlawful.”
The companies later said they would divest more than 500 stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers….
Kroger-Albertsons Merger Faces Setbacks in Federal and State Courts
