A Washington state judge ruled the deal would harm both customers and workers.

Summary

A U.S. District Judge in Oregon blocked Kroger’s $25 billion merger with Albertsons, siding with the FTC’s concerns about reduced competition and harm to consumers and workers.

Judge Adrienne Nelson ruled that the merger would unlawfully consolidate the supermarket market, reducing consumer choices and workers’ bargaining power.

Kroger argued the deal was essential to compete with Walmart, Target, and Amazon, but the court deemed supermarkets a distinct market requiring scrutiny.

The decision marks a win for the Biden administration and FTC Chair Lina Khan’s aggressive antitrust stance.