Should Krogers and Albertsons Be Allowed To Merge?

[balloonshark]

This kind of shit keeps going, we'll all buy our foods from Grocery, Inc, buy our motor vehicles (if we're still allowed to have them) from Cars, Inc, get our electricity from Electricity, Inc, natural gas from Gasco, Inc, etc...one corporation for each category...possibly all owned by the same mega-corp.

That's why he/they helped him get into office.

 

[manly]

We can only hope.

haha, the knives are out. Thanks Joe Biden (and Lina Khan)!

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/11/business/albertsons-calls-off-merger-sues-kroger/index.html

 

[nakedfrog]

haha, the knives are out. Thanks Joe Biden (and Lina Khan)!

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/11/business/albertsons-calls-off-merger-sues-kroger/index.html

Albertsons also sued Kroger for breach of its contract agreement, alleging Kroger caused the merger to be blocked. Albertsons said that Kroger failed to exercise its “best efforts” and to take “any and all actions” to secure regulatory approval of the merger.

Kroger said Albertsons’ claims were “baseless and without merit” a deflection of Albertson’s own “multiple breaches,” and an attempt to receive a break-up fee “to which they are not entitled.” Kroger added that it went to “extraordinary lengths” to advance the merger.

Oh, fuck's sake, look at these catty bitches 🙄

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Billions and Billions of Billionaires.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

See, what I wudda dun....

I'd have forced the sale of a portion of stores (and reassignment of management) of both chains to form a third chain. Consumers benefit from more competition, not less.

 

[feralkid]

See, what I wudda dun....

I'd have forced the sale of a portion of stores (and reassignment of management) of both chains to form a third chain. Consumers benefit from more competition, not less.

Kroger already planned all that, but with a weak, doomed to failure concept that the courts saw right through.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

No simply because food prices.
Zero food provider mergers until:
Prices are lower
AND
There is a commitment to keep prices lower. Commitment means there is a painful penalty that will be applied if it’s not followed

 

[SteveGrabowski]

No simply because food prices.
Zero food provider mergers until:
Prices are lower
AND
There is a commitment to keep prices lower. Commitment means there is a painful penalty that will be applied if it’s not followed

Gotta break up the meat packing cartel if you want lower prices. Though I'd stick with no food provider mergers period.

 

[Torn Mind]

Albertsons is at a disadvantage compared to Krogers. The prices are generally higher at Safeways. They are likely going to die off in the future or at least shrink their presence.

The eventual trend of becoming more whole food oriented means a loss of general revenue for grocery stores. The candy, cakes, chips, etc subsidize the slower moving inventory.

People really have a big problem equating large numbers with infinity

 

[Shmee]

The Safeway nearest to me has been pretty meh lately. It isn't a very big one though.

 

[BoomerD]

Albertson’s bought Lucky Stores in the 90s (IIRC) then bought Safeway a few years ago. Fuck “Joe Albertson.”

 

[Torn Mind]

The Safeway nearest to me has been pretty meh lately. It isn't a very big one though.

The best Safeways are in areas with little competition nearby. Bigger stores, in stock all the time, wider variety.
The bad ones are in smaller stores with competition nearby. The small Safeway I know basically gutted all their attempts to sell "higher end" nut butters not soon after the merger and they just shifted to all the reliable cookie cutter brands like JIF, Skippy, etc....and they were still more expensive than the local Giant. Some of the times, the water isn't in stock when coupons are running...

 

[GodisanAtheist]

The best Safeways are in areas with little competition nearby. Bigger stores, in stock all the time, wider variety.
The bad ones are in smaller stores with competition nearby. The small Safeway I know basically gutted all their attempts to sell "higher end" nut butters not soon after the merger and they just shifted to all the reliable cookie cutter brands like JIF, Skippy, etc....and they were still more expensive than the local Giant. Some of the times, the water isn't in stock when coupons are running...

- Both my local Safeways are reasonably large and the shelves look like Soviet era polish markets.

Half empty and rummaged looking all the time.

They were good pre-pandemic, but they've just completely gone to shit at this point.

 

[BoomerD]

- Both my local Safeways are reasonably large and the shelves look like Soviet era polish markets.

Half empty and rummaged looking all the time.

They were good pre-pandemic, but they've just completely gone to shit at this point.

We have on Safeway in Aberdeen, WA. It's USUALLY pretty well stocked, unless they're having a huge sale on stuff....then you might have to settle for a rain-check.

The WalMart here on the other hand...it fits your description of a Soviet-era market...shelves are empty, stuff out of place...Walmart's "Just in time" inventory system is always late.

 

[nakedfrog]

I do most of my grocery shopping at a local Safeway that has plenty of competition, and it's fine. The Franz sourdough English muffins I like tend to go out of stock, but I think they're just popular because there's plenty of other English muffins on the shelf when it happens.

 

[I'dluv2]

I worked for Safeway for 41 years from the mid 70's on the distribution side. At the time Safeway was the largest grocery chain in the world. In the mid 80's the Haft family, Dart Drugs, Crown Books, Trak Auto tried a corporate take over. Safeway had to sell some divisions to buy off the Hafts. Their so cal division was sold to Von's grocers, with the agreement they had to stay out of the so cal market for 5 years. 5 years and one day later Safeway reacquired the division.

Then Safeway tried to do what other companies were doing, buying other companies to increase their buying power. But they over paid for the other chains and profits went down. Then around 2015 Albertsons came calling and the rest is history.

 

[KLin]

Ahh capitalism.