If regulators approve the proposed megamerger of Kroger and Albertsons, the combined entity could redefine what consumers buy at the grocery store, reports The Wall Street Journal.
“You used to make money selling a can of corn,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s CEO. Now, “you have to figure out other ways of creating value for the customer.”
In addition to the possible combined company’s impact on grocery markets throughout the nation, the Federal Trade Commission is examining its potential effects on specific areas such as online delivery, digital advertising, and pharmacy operations, according to people familiar with the matter.
Albertsons Chief Executive Officer Vivek Sankaran said at a November Senate hearing that the merger was its best path to compete against Walmart Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., two retailing giants whose conquest of new markets has increasingly put them in direct competition with grocery stores. Full Story (Subscription Required)
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