The parent company of one of the biggest grocers in the Los Angeles area has delayed plans to merge with another family of stores that includes a chain popular in Northern California.
Kroger, the owner of Ralphs, and Albertsons, who owns Safeway, have “pushed back the closing of their proposed megamerger, which originally was set for early 2024,” Axios reports.
The companies face regulatory pushback on the merger from both the federal and state levels, meaning August might be a more likely timeline.
Kroger and Albertsons’ merger combines the second- and fourth-largest food retailers in the country, Axios explained in a 2022 article announcing the merger.
Even combined, though, Albertsons and Kroger fail to reach the market leader: Walmart, with a 25% market share. Together, Kroger and Albertsons total a 13% market share.