FTC sues to block US$25 billion Kroger-Albertsons merger

By Patrick Thomas and Dave MichaelsThe Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Monday sued to block Kroger’s US$25 billion (NZ$40.6b) bid for rival Albertsons, throwing into uncertainty the fate of the largest supermarket deal in history. In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Oregon, the FTC said the deal would lead to higher food prices and harm union workers’ bargaining power and asked a court to block the companies from closing their deal on antitrust grounds. The companies’ plan to address the government’s conce...