Officials from seven U.S. states wrote to Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan to express that Kroger’s proposed $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons must be stopped, reports Reuters.
"We are strongly opposed to this merger and urge you to stop this corporate consolidation that is draining Americans of their hard-earned wages and livelihoods," wrote the secretaries of state from Colorado, Arizona, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
A Kroger spokesperson shared that the deal would be good for both consumers and store workers, urging that non-unionized big-box retailers like Walmart and Amazon would be the only business to benefit if the deal were blocked.
First announced in 2022, the proposed deal faced opposition from many food industry leaders and legal entities. Both companies hope the process will be completed by 2024. Full Story
Related: Teamsters Oppose Kroger-Albertsons Merger; Aldi to Acquire Winn-Dixie, Harveys Supermarket