Kroger, Albertsons looking at potential merger
Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. are considering a merger of the companies, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Cincinnati-based Kroger is one of the world's largest food retailers, with annual sales of $137.9 billion. For its part Boise, ID-based Albertsons saw $74 billion in sales over the last 12 months.
Citing people familiar with the matter, WSJ said a deal could come as soon as this week. The two companies combined currently employ about 750,000 people.
Kroger operates 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names and serves more than 9 million customers. Albertsons operates 2,273 stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia with 24 banners.
WSJ said the companies are expected to divest overlapping stores to facilitate regulatory approval, though it expected "a deep antitrust review."
