Kroger, Albertsons Plan to Sell Over 400 Stores to C&S Wholesale Article originally posted on HERE on September 8, 2023 Kroger and Albertsons supermarkets will sell more than 400 stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers for nearly $2 billion as part of their proposed $25 billion merger, the companies announced on Friday. The divestiture, which was first reported to be in the works on Tuesday by Bloomberg, is part of a move to mollify antitrust regulators at the Federal Trade Commission. Kroger and Albertsons agreed to sell stores that are in the Pacific Northwest, the Mountain states and in California, Texas, Illinois, and the East Coast. Kroger and Albertsons outlined the potential sale of 100 to 375 stores when they first announced their proposal in 2022. They have since disclosed they would cap divested stores at 650 locations. Kroger and Albertsons declined to comment Wednesday and officials with C&S did not respond to emails from the USA TODAY Network seeking comment on the deal. Kroger: Kroger aims to be America’s grocery store. The Biden administration may have other ideas Kroger-Albertsons merger The proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger would be one of the largest retail takeovers in history. The deal would give Kroger almost 5,000 stores and more than 700,000 workers before an undetermined number of store divestitures. The two companies have vowed not to close stores or layoff workers, but the unions and other critics are skeptical. Consumer and union groups have opposed the deal, claiming it would hurt competition and ultimately raise prices and harm workers. Regulators have declined to comment as they decide whether to block it. Kroger executives have vowed to fight for the deal in court. Will Kroger and Albertsons stores in your state be affected? Stores in 17 states and the District of Columbia will be affected: 104 Albertsons Cos. and Kroger stores in Washington 66 Albertsons Cos. and Kroger stores in California 52 Albertsons Cos. stores in Colorado 49 Albertsons Cos. and Kroger stores in Oregon 28 Albertsons Cos. stores in Texas and Louisiana 24 Albertsons Cos. stores in Arizona 15 Albertsons Cos. stores in Nevada 14 Kroger stores in Illinois 14 Albertsons Cos. stores in Alaska 13 Albertsons Cos. stores in Idaho 12 Albertsons Cos. stores in New Mexico 12 Albertsons Cos. stores in Montana, Utah and Wyoming 10 Harris Teeter stores in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia The deal is subject to Kroger and Albertsons closing their merger. The companies added the deal may require C&S Wholesale to purchase an additional 237 stores from Kroger and Albertsons, in conjunction with securing regulatory approval. Kroger and Albertsons are also selling off eight distribution centers, two offices and five private-label brands as part of the transaction. C&S Wholesale Grocers The deal would give C&S Wholesale, which supplies more than 7,500 supermarkets across the country, a much bigger footprint in the grocery store business. The private company currently operates a few dozen supermarkets, including 11 Grand Union stores in New York and Vermont as well and an unspecified number of Piggly Wiggly stores in Wisconsin and the Southeast. SoftBank Group Corp, a Japanese investment group, is talking to C&S Wholesale about helping finance a small portion of the deal, Reuters reported. Aldi to buy 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket grocery stores The potential deal comes after Aldi announced last month it was buying about 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores across the Southeast in an agreement with parent company Southeastern Grocers. Aldi: Aldi to buy 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket grocery stores across the Southeast “The time was right to build on our growth momentum and help residents in the Southeast save on their grocery bills,” Aldi CEO Jason Hart said in a news release.