[karlsch]

Originally Posted by CARas2020

Winco has better prices for sure. At least here in the NW. All our Albertsons have merged with Safeway. But we have Fred Meyer, Thriftway, QFC. Target has a small selection of grocery items. It's not a Super Target.

Kroger owns Fred Meyer.

[Sneakerfreak]

Originally Posted by movin1

WinCo is pretty good.

only downside to Winco is they don't let you pay with credit cards.

[robr2]

This would create a behemoth almost twice the size of next closet grocery only chain. For this to actually happen, hundreds of stores will have to be spun off in order reduce the issue of lack of competition and control of market. If not enough competitors are willing to buy these spun off stores, the Justice Department will sue to stop the merger.

[Cold Warrior]

This would create a behemoth almost twice the size of next closet grocery only chain.

This is true, but is it important? Kroger will still be far behind Walmart in US retail food sales. Does it matter that Walmart sells more than groceries?

[movin1]

All I know is it drives me crazy to have to go to several different grocery stores to find all the things I want at reasonable prices. I'd be willing to pay slightly higher prices if they stocked everything I want and had good quality meat.

[waltman]

This city desperately needs a couple Aldi and Lidl discount grocery stores. They are so much cheaper than everybody else and offer great quality. That would really shake things up!

[robr2]

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior

This is true, but is it important? Kroger will still be far behind Walmart in US retail food sales. Does it matter that Walmart sells more than groceries?

It is important. Wal-Mart may sell more groceries but in some places they aren't a factor. If one company were to own multiple chains in an area giving them a certain percentage of the market, the DOJ may require them to sell off stores to reduce that percentage.

When Royal Ahold bought Delhaize, they had competing chains in the Northeast (Stop & Shop and Hannaford) and they had to sell off stores to competitors to satisfy the DOJ. This merger has a plan to sell off 400 stores and to close others. That plan may not be enough for the DOJ.

[Willy702]

I could see this merger actually getting Kroger to be a little more competitive with Walmart. Right now Kroger and Albertson stores compete against each other, notice how the weekly ads tend to have a lot of the same products on sale for the two chains. Same cuts of meat and same fruit are often the headline sales items. They are essentially competing against each other and paying no attention to Walmart because they know for products not on sale they can't compete now. Get the buying and distribution power combined and that might be the way they start advertising and competing. In a way its kind of showing what lack of competition there is between supermarkets already so to say no you two need to stay independent and compete with each other doesn't really accomplish anything.

[himain]

They are trying to buy the Safeways here in CO as well.

[cre8lite]

in pahrump, we have 3 grocery stores: smiths, albertsons & walmart. i'm curious to see what happens to our 2 stores