US sues to block Kroger-Albertsons merger
The Federal Trade Commission sued to block the $24.6 billion merger between the grocery giants


What happened?
The Federal Trade Commission sued Monday to block the $24.6 billion merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons. Nine states joined the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon. The combination of Kroger and Albertsons and their several brands would be the largest grocery merger yet.
Who said what?
"Kroger's acquisition of Albertsons would lead to additional grocery price hikes for everyday goods," said Henry Liu, the director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition. The merger would "ensure our neighborhood supermarkets can better compete" with "mega retailers" like Walmart, Costco and Amazon, Albertsons said, "benefiting our customers," workers and communities.
The commentary
The lawsuit "shows that the FTC understands how the outsized power of big retailers is damaging the entire food system," said Stacy Mitchell at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
A federal judge in Oregon will first decide whether to grant the FTC's request for a preliminary injunction, then "how much competition is lost to the merger," The Wall Street Journal said. Kroger and Albertsons hoped to close this year.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
'This is a humanitarian, developmental and moral emergency'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
July 29 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Tuesday’s political cartoons include a ghostly presence, fiery rhetoric, and more
-
How did Qatar become the world's peacemaker?
Today's Big Question Strong relationships, ideological pragmatism and neutral positioning has made the tiny Gulf state 'the diplomatic capital of the world'
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance
-
A potential railway megamerger raises monopoly questions
The Explainer Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would create the country's largest railway operator
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
How potatoes became an 'unusual bellwether' in Russia's economy
Under The Radar Spud shortages are pointing to a wider crisis in the nation's finances
-
The FTC is pushing back against false 'Made in the USA' claims
The Explainer The agency has dubbed July 2025 'Made in the USA' month
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Frozen pizza sales could be a key indicator of a recession
The Explainer Sales of the item have been increasing since the pandemic