A “group listening session” hosted by Arizona Lawyer Normal
Kris Mayes on Wednesday in Sierra Vista will concentrate on the proposed $25 billion
merger between grocery giants Albertsons and Kroger — house owners of shops
equivalent to Safeway and Fry’s.

Mayes is probing whether or not to aim to
block the combining of the chains, which might end in a single
firm controlling greater than 5,000 shops throughout the nation, and
turn into the second-largest grocery operation after Walmart.

The 2-hour assembly will start at 1:30 p.m. on the Ethel Berger Heart – 2950 E. Tacoma Road. Those that want to attend are requested to RSVP on-line.

The
merger, anticipated to be finalized in 2024, was initiated by the
firms final October, and has resulted in lawsuits by prospects and a
evaluation by the Federal Commerce Fee. Federal legislation prohibits mergers
with outcomes that “could also be considerably to reduce competitors, or have a tendency
to create a monopoly.”

Arizona’s lawyer common is weighing whether or not to have the state take part efforts to dam the merger on aggressive grounds.

Mayes “has held listening classes on this subject in Kingman, Tucson, Prescott and Phoenix in latest months,” her workplace mentioned Monday.

In
Arizona, Kroger operates the Smith’s and Fry’s Meals chains, whereas
Albertsons operates the shops beneath that identify in addition to the Safeway
chain.

Albertsons purchased Safeway in 2015, and was required to promote
off about 150 shops as a situation of that merger, in an effort to
protect some competitors within the market. Amongst them have been shops in
Tucson that have been bought by the regional Haggen chain. That firm was overextended by the acquisition, and filed for chapter after a number of months. Albertsons then regained management of the shops.