Interior Alaska News

Following the recent announcement that Albertsons has withdrawn from its proposed $24.6 billion merger with Kroger, Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan have expressed their approval of the decision. This development comes after a federal judge in Oregon and a state judge in Washington blocked the merger.

Senator Murkowski stated, "I have been working with the delegation for over a year to amplify the justified concerns Alaskans have about this merger, and I’m pleased that the courts have now recognized what we knew, that it would have imposed significant harms on Alaskans. That Albertsons has now backed out is evidence that this was a bad idea from the start.” She emphasized that this outcome represents "a victory for Alaskans seeking affordable and accessible groceries for their families."

Senator Sullivan echoed these sentiments by saying, “I appreciate the court’s decision to block this merger. Many Alaskans were concerned about this merger resulting in grocery store closures and higher prices in Alaska, especially as our state already faces some of the highest prices for food and basic goods in the country." He noted that both he and Senator Murkowski had urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to thoroughly analyze potential impacts on Alaskans. According to Senator Sullivan, "The FTC found that the merger would likely reduce competition and raise prices—putting further strain on working families in our state. The courts agreed, which is good news for our state.”

In September 2023, Senators Murkowski and Sullivan communicated their concerns regarding consumer prices, food security, and employment issues related to union contracts through a letter addressed to Lina Khan, Commissioner of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

As part of its initial plans for merging with Kroger, Albertsons had announced an agreement involving divesting $1.9 billion worth of assets by selling 14 out of 35 Carrs-Safeway stores located across various cities in Alaska such as Anchorage, Girdwood, Fairbanks, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, Juneau, Kenai, Soldotna, and North Pole to C&S Wholesale LLC.