PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Kroger and Albertsons defended their plan to merge – and tried to overcome the U.S. government’s objections – in a federal court hearing that began Monday in Oregon.
The two companies proposed what would be the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history in October 2022. They say joining together would help them rein in costs and better compete with big rivals like Walmart and Costco.
But the Federal Trade Commission sued to try to block the deal, saying it would eliminate competition and raise grocery prices in a time of already high food price inflation. In the three-week hearing that opened Monday, the FTC is seeking a preliminary injunction that would block the deal while its complaint goes before an in-house administrative law judge.
“This lawsuit is part of an effort aimed at …