Kroger and Albertsons are looking to sell select grocery locations to win regulatory approval for their $25 billion merger, reports Bloomberg. With backing from investment firm SoftBank Group, C&S Wholesale Grocers is in talks to buy these locations.
C&S could announce a deal this week to acquire most or all of the stores up for sale; however, to date, no indication has been made of how many they are willing to take on. If these stores don’t find a buyer, Kroger and Albertsons said that they would divest and spin off 100 to 375 stores.
The Kroger-Albertsons deal was first announced in 2022 and has since faced opposition from many food industry leaders and legal entities. The merger would combine two leading grocery chains into a retail giant with over 5,000 stores. The companies aim to close in early 2024. Full Story (Subscription required)
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