This morning brings news of the biggest potential roadblock yet to the mega-merger that could put five of West Seattle’s grocery stores under the same ownership: The Federal Trade Commission is suing to stop the merger of Kroger (parent of QFC, Fred Meyer, and other brands) and Albertsons (parent of Safeway among others). West Seattle has two QFC stores and three Safeway stores, and among those, two – Junction QFC and Jefferson Square – are barely a block apart. To the south, Westwood Village QFC and Roxbury Safeway (a former Fred Meyer) are separated by just a few blocks. Sixteen months have passed since the $24 billion merger announcement. In its announcement today, the FTC alleges that “the deal is anticompetitive (and would) eliminate fierce competition between Kroger and Albertsons, leading to higher prices for groceries and other essential household items for millions of Americans.” The merger plan has drawn other opposition since it came to light, including U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal‘s call – announced in West Seattle – for the FTC to investigate. Kroger had sought to calm some concerns via a plan announced last September to sell some of its assets, including the QFC brand name (but not necessarily all QFC stores) to a third party.
WHAT’S NEXT: According to the FTC announcement, its action “marks the beginning of a proceeding in which the allegations will be tried in a formal hearing before an administrative law judge.”
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