Supermarket chains Kroger, which operates Fred Meyer and QFC stores and Albertsons, which owns Safeway, said Monday they will sell off more stores to ease antitrust concerns over their proposed $24.6 billion merger.<\/p>\n
The combined companies say they now plan to sell 579 stores across several states for $2.9 billion, letting go of the most in the state of Washington: 124. That’s 20 more stores than their previous merger plan which the Federal Trade Commission<\/a> (FTC) and the state of Washington are suing to stop.<\/p>\n The company tapped to buy the stores is C&S Wholesale Grocers<\/a>, a New Hampshire-based company that includes the Piggly Wiggly Supermarkets<\/a> chains as part of its portfolio.<\/p>\n Under the initial divestiture plan, announced in September, C&S had planned to purchase 413 stores for $1.9 billion.<\/p>\n Kroger<\/a>, which would be the acquiring entity in the merger of the giant chains, would sell the Haggen<\/a> banner. C&S would also license the Albertsons<\/a> banner in California and Wyoming and the Safeway banner in Arizona and Colorado. C&S would also get access to some private-label brands in the stores. Under the proposal, C&S would keep all of the stores open and honor any labor agreements.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n KIRO Newsradio has reached out to Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson<\/a> to see if it’s a big enough move to allay his fears about the merger.<\/p>\nFerguson has previously expressed fear about the merger<\/h2>\n