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Monday, February 16, 2026

Washington state takes legal action to prevent Kroger and Albertsons merger

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SEATTLE — Washington state Attorney ⁢General Bob Ferguson is taking‍ a stand to protect ​consumers ⁣and workers by suing to block the proposed merger ⁢of Kroger and Albertsons, two of⁢ the nation’s largest‍ grocery chains.

In the lawsuit filed in King County⁢ Superior ⁢Court, Ferguson argued that the $25 ​billion deal ⁣would harm⁤ consumers and raise prices, The⁣ Seattle Times reported.⁣ Kroger and Albertsons have ⁤more than 300 locations in ‌the state ‍and account for more than half of its⁣ grocery sales, according to the ‌suit.

Protecting Consumers and Workers

“This merger is​ bad for Washington shoppers and workers,” Ferguson ⁣said in ‌a news release Monday. “Shoppers will have fewer choices and ‍less competition, and, without ⁤a competitive marketplace, they will pay higher prices at the ‍grocery store.”

Kroger, which owns ‍QFC and Fred Meyer⁢ and is based in Cincinnati, is seeking to acquire Albertsons, which owns Safeway and Haggen⁢ and is based​ in Boise, Idaho.

Pushing Back the‌ Timeline

In⁣ a statement⁤ Monday, Kroger said it ⁤was pushing back ​its timeline for ⁣closing the deal due to ongoing dialogue with ‍regulators, including state attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission.‌ It now anticipates ​the closure may occur in the first half of its ‌fiscal ⁤year, which ends in ‌mid-August.

“While this is ‌longer than ‍we originally ‌thought, we knew it was a possibility and … accounted for such potential timing,” ‌the statement said.

Impact on Consumers

The company claimed the​ merger ‌would bring lower prices for consumers, but Ferguson’s lawsuit was endorsed ⁣by United​ Food & Commercial Workers, Local 3000, which represents Kroger and Albertsons employees in Washington, northeast Oregon and northern Idaho, The⁢ Seattle Times reported.

“Workers, shoppers and ⁣our communities need to prevent this proposed megamerger from taking place,”‌ Yasmin Ashur, a union member who works‍ in an Albertsons ⁢grocery ⁣store, ⁢said ⁤in a union​ statement Monday.

Market Dominance​ Concerns

Last year, seeking to ⁢clear a path for a merger, Kroger​ and Albertsons announced ⁤plans to​ sell more than 400 stores and other assets⁣ to C&S Wholesale Grocers, a wholesale grocery supplier, amid concerns about market dominance.

Kroger and Albertsons agreed⁣ to ‍merge in 2022. The grocery chains‍ say they ⁣must merge⁤ to compete with Walmart, ⁤Amazon and other major companies that have ‌stepped‍ into the ‌grocery business.

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Truth Media Network
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