Cantwell statement on rulings blocking Kroger-Albertsons merger

Photo by Jerry Pickard

Federal District Court and King County Superior Court issued rulings Tuesday preventing merger of the two major rivals.

Sen. Cantwell has previously spoken out against the merger, warning it would lead to increased prices for consumers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released the following statement in response to two parallel rulings from a U.S. District Court and King County Superior Court to effectively block the planned merger of grocery chains Kroger (Fred Meyer/QFC) and Albertsons (Safeway).

"The Courts found what we have seen in Washington state: Large-scale grocery store mergers like this one are more likely to raise grocery prices than provide any real benefits to shoppers. And right now we need to keep taking steps to lower costs," said Sen. Cantwell.

Kroger and Albertsons operate a combined 337 stores in Washington, representing 21.5 percent of the state’s total grocery stores.