Kroger-Albertsons merger should get a green light, four state attorneys general say

By Sam Silverstein
Source: Grocery Dive

The FTC’s bid to block the deal is based on an overly narrow definition of the grocery marketplace, the top legal officials of Ohio, Alabama, Georgia and Iowa said Wednesday in an amicus brief.

Dive Brief:

• The attorneys general of Ohio and three other states on Wednesday urged a federal court to reject the Federal Trade Commission’s bid to block Kroger from merging with Albertsons.
• In an amicus brief filed with a federal court in Oregon, the state officials said the proposed merger would boost competition in the grocery industry — not constrain it, as the FTC contends.
• The attorneys general said the FTC’s effort to stop the merger is based on an overly narrow definition of the grocery marketplace that incorrectly leaves out non-traditional grocers like Costco, Walmart and Aldi.

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