5 Reasons Why the Feds Are Trying to Block Kroger’s Purchase of Albertsons

Legal Clash: Government's upset with Kroger and Albertsons, calling them "serial" acquirers and talking about unions.

[{"selector":"#anim-285422e4-8bad-43b4-a82d-6b5694f13f2b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.34426%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-616000af-1d33-47ac-a17f-1037cd34ca50","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aa561856-d897-4413-9eef-c36afeb7c5f0","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Stop Sign for Big Merger: Kroger and Albertsons wanted a huge merger, but the government said, "Hold on!"

[{"selector":"#anim-ae8fece4-621c-4597-be1e-571afdfc48da","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.34426%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9736ecfb-f09e-4c57-82ff-22739630d6c5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b2b3fb0d-6a14-40d3-9d53-de90096ede33","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Buyer History Lesson: Government says Kroger and Albertsons love buying lots of stores over the years.

[{"selector":"#anim-2bee9d8b-3d1e-4cb8-bc8c-c4434ab6312e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.34426%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1f295c03-b688-44c9-995c-e1fba1c4b9d8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dfed56aa-c5ae-415d-b028-8de7cc65c81a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Skeptical Sell-off Plan: Kroger tried to fix things by selling some stores, but the government isn't buying it.

[{"selector":"#anim-9f566791-8571-4cb7-bdcf-25693d674e2e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.34426%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eceaaa32-bb6c-424c-a950-cc66bfda2a21","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bf6bc86d-0894-4e34-b698-36133f2c5a28","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Big vs. Small Fight: Kroger and Albertsons see competition nationally, but the government's worried about local workers and customers.

[{"selector":"#anim-7f81dba1-83c6-4308-9dea-c11944d14f10","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.34426%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-caee1f3e-e499-4b0e-8345-6c3aeedf971d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-56e1f817-fba9-4d7a-affc-fa50ee982918","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Worker Competition Risk: The government's concerned that if Kroger and Albertsons team up, it might hurt competition between their workers.

[{"selector":"#anim-018c4740-1bcb-4b60-8c36-f699389e3e79","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.34426%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c45e2deb-a5f3-4d1a-9c47-0a9c6aa96a00","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b748df49-572f-45a0-819b-47ba2fb3388f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Shopping Check: Government is comparing regular supermarkets with other ways people get groceries, like smaller stores and online shopping.

[{"selector":"#anim-8280c820-3ba5-4faa-8ec6-96265bd1ece3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.34426%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cf7b7486-fe5b-45c2-a8b0-7da1b5ab5e90","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3efcbe28-9519-4663-ac51-9241f3e81544","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]