Kroger, Albertsons, C&S now anticipate merger closure in Kroger’s 1H24

Kroger (NYSE), Albertsons (ACI), and C&S Wholesale Grocers issued a joint statement saying that, “We remain in active and ongoing dialogue with the Federal Trade Commission and individual state Attorneys General regarding our proposed merger and divestiture plan. We believe our merger with Albertsons and the comprehensive divestiture to C&S will result in the best outcomes for customers, associates and our communities. In light of our continuing dialogue with the regulators, we are updating our anticipated closure timeline. We currently anticipate that the closing will occur in the first half of Kroger’s fiscal 2024. While this is longer than we originally thought, we knew it was a possibility and our merger agreement and divestiture plan accounted for such potential timing. We remain committed to closing the transaction and providing the meaningful and measurable benefits that we promised when we originally announced the transaction.”