The Lafayette King Soopers, seen here on June 8, will close as soon as the Nine Mile King Soopers in Erie opens in late summer or early fall. Supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons said Monday they will sell more of their stores in an effort to quell the federal government’s concerns about their proposed merger.
The FTC also said the initial plan to divest 413 stores to C&S was “inadequate” and would give C&S a hodgepodge of unconnected stores and brands, leaving it ill-equipped to compete with a combined Kroger and Albertsons. “We are confident this expanded divestiture package will provide the stores, supporting assets and expert operators needed to ensure these stores continue to successfully serve their communities for many generations to come,” C&S CEO Eric Winn said in a statement.in October 2022. The companies say it’s necessary so they can better compete with Walmart, Amazon and other big rivals.