OLYMPIA, Wash.-Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced on Jan. 15 that his office has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block the Kroger and Albertsons supermarket merger.
The lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court alleges that the proposed merger of the two largest supermarket companies in Washington state will severely limit shopping options for consumers and eliminate vital competition that keeps grocery prices low.
According to the AG’s Office, the lawsuit asks the court to rule that the merger violates Washington antitrust laws and to issue an injunction permanently blocking the merger nationwide.
“This merger is bad for Washington shoppers and workers,” Ferguson said. “Free enterprise is built on companies competing, and that competition benefits consumers.
Kroger employs over 21,000 people in Washington and over half of all supermarkets in the state are owned by Kroger or Albertsons, according to information from the AG’s Office.
“Shoppers will have fewer choices and less competition, and, without a competitive marketplace, they will pay higher prices at the grocery store,” said AG Ferguson. “That’s not right, and this lawsuit seeks to stop this harmful merger.”
