CALIFORNIA — A merger between parent company Albertsons and Kroger has been temporarily halted, delaying the expected sale of nearly 600 stores — including 63 stores in California — as part of the deal.
A Colorado judge issued an order Thursday temporarily pausing the $24.6 billion merger after it was challenged by the state attorney general, Bloomberg reported. The judge also canceled a scheduled Aug. 12 hearing and will instead preside over a trial on the merits of the merger starting Sept. 30.
Kroger and Albertson’s, the parent companies of Food 4 Less, Vons, and Pavillions, agreed not to close the deal until after the judge’s ruling.
The two companies announced the planned merger in October 2022. As a condition of the deal, both agreed to sell off stores and other facilities, which would be purchased by C&S Wholesale Grocers, whose subsidiaries include Piggly Wiggly. Kroger’s CEO said the deal included commitments from C&S to continue operating the stores, honor existing collective bargaining agreements and avoid layoffs.
Calling it the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history, the Federal Trade Commission sued to block the acquisition earlier this year, arguing it could eliminate competition, drive prices higher and reduce choices for shoppers. The FTC and union leaders have also expressed concerns over how the deal could impact more than 710,000 workers employed by the two companies.
Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen has argued the merger would save up to $1 billion in administrative costs and help streamline manufacturing and distribution channels, allowing for lower prices at the register and higher wages for workers.
“We look forward to defending in court how the combination of Kroger and Albertsons will provide meaningful, measurable benefits, including lower prices and more choices for families across the country and more opportunities for stable, well-paying union jobs,” A Kroger spokesperson told Fox Business this week.
If the merger happens, these California stores are poised to be sold:
- Vons — 5671 Kanan Rd, Agoura Hills
- Pavilions — 9467 W Olympic Blvd, Beverly Hills
- Pavilions — 1110 W Alameda Ave, Burbank
- Vons — 301 N Pass Ave, Burbank
- Vons — 820 Arneill Rd, Camarillo
- Vons — 6951 El Camino Real, Carlsbad
- Vons — 3439 Via Montebello, Carlsbad
- Albertsons — 200 E Sepulveda Blvd, Carson
- Vons — 185 E 17th St, Costa Mesa
- Pavilions — 11030 Jefferson Blvd, Culver City
- Albertsons — 33601 Del Obispo St, Dana Point
- Vons — 2606 Del Mar Heights Rd, Del Mar
- Albertsons — 2899 Jamacha Rd, El Cajon
- Albertsons — 7201 Yorktown Ave, Huntington Beach
- Albertsons — 16600 Bolsa Chica St, Huntington Beach
- Vons — 500 E Manchester Blvd, Inglewood
- Vons — 3233 Foothill Blvd, La Crescenta
- Pavilions — 7544 Girard Ave, La Jolla
- Vons — 78271 Hwy 111, La Quinta
- Pavilions — 600 N Pacific Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach
- Albertsons — 1500 N H St, Lompoc
- Vons — 1820 Ximeno Ave, Long Beach
- Vons — 11322 Los Alamitos Blvd, Los Alamitos
- Albertsons — 3901 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles
- Vons — 3118 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles
- Vons — 3461 W 3rd St, Los Angeles
- Vons — 1430 S Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles
- Vons — 6571 W 80th St, Los Angeles
- Pavilions — 29211 Heathercliff Rd, Malibu
- Vons — 410 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach
- Pavilions — 4365 Glencoe Ave, Marina del Rey
- Vons — 2039 Verdugo Blvd, Montrose
- Albertsons — 730 Quintana Rd, Morro Bay
- Albertsons — 541 S Reino Rd, Newbury Park
- Pavilions — 2660 San Miguel Dr, Newport Beach
- Pavilions — 1000 Bayside Dr, Newport Beach
- Albertsons — 9022 Balboa Blvd, Northridge
- Vons — 17380 Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades
- Albertsons — 42095 Washington St, Palm Desert
- Albertsons — 1751 N Sunrise Way Ste 1, Palm Springs
- Vons — 4733 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs
- Pavilions — 7 Peninsula Ctr, Palos Verdes Peninsula
- Albertsons — 804 Avenida Pico, San Clemente
- Pavilions — 989 Avenida Pico, San Clemente
- Pavilions — 3850 Valley Centre Dr, San Diego
- Vons — 11986 Bernardo Plaza Dr, San Diego
- Vons — 1702 Garnet Ave, San Diego
- Vons — 2495 Truxtun Rd Ste 100, San Diego
- Safeway — 1499 Washington Ave, San Leandro
- Vons — 1440 W 25th St, San Pedro
- Vons — 163 S Turnpike Rd, Santa Barbara
- Vons — 9643 Mission Gorge Rd, Santee
- Pavilions — 1101 Pacific Coast Hwy, Seal Beach
- Pavilions — 14845 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks
- Albertsons — 543 Sweetwater Rd, Spring Valley
- Vons — 25850 The Old Rd, Stevenson Ranch
- Vons — 4033 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Studio City
- Vons — 18439 Ventura Blvd, Tarzana
- Vons — 7789 Foothill Blvd, Tujunga
- Vons — 6040 Telegraph Rd, Ventura
- Pavilions — 6534 Platt Ave, West Hills
- Pavilions — 8969 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood
- Albertsons — 23893 Clinton Keith Rd, Wildomar
