WVXU: How Kroger’s purchase of Albertson Co. could impact consumers

Felix Chang, professor and co-director of the Corporate Law Center at the UC Law, discusses the potential impact of a merger between Kroger Co. and Albertson Co. during a segment with WVXU’s Cincinnati Edition. Kroger is the second larger grocery retailer in the nation while Alberston’s is the fourth largest. 

Their merger is set for completion by January 2024, but the deal still faces regulatory scrutiny and legal challenges regarding potential antitrust issues. The two companies owned nearly 5,000 grocery stores combined across the nation. The impact could be substantial for consumers. 

“What you worry about when you have a merger of this size is two fold,” Chang told WVXU listeners. “One is that you have a market that has one less significant competitor and so got few competitors and they is a greater propensity for some kind of anti-competitive conduct in violation of the Sherman Act. You also worry about a successor who has greater market power and can unilaterally raise prices.”

Listen to the WVXU interview online.

Learn more about Felix Chang, professor of law at the University of Cincinnati. 

Featured top image: Kroger grocery closest to the UC campus. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand.