NFriday wrote:I was watching Chicago Tonight, and they had a segment on the Kroger/Albertson's merger. Albertson's is the 10th largest retailer in the country, and Kroger is the 5th largest. If this merger goes through in 2024 as anticipated, Walmart will still be the #1 grocer.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has sued grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, which announced in October they plan to merge, over a nearly $4 billion payment scheduled to go out to Albertsons shareholders in November. Kroger, which owns Mariano’s, said in October that it planned to acquire Albertsons, which owns Jewel-Osco, for $20 billion. Because of the scale of the merger and the high degree of overlap between Albertsons- and Kroger-owned stores in some areas of the country, including in Chicago, the deal stands to undergo heavy scrutiny from federal regulators. Last week, Raoul joined a group of six attorneys general who signed a letter asking Albertsons to hold off on paying out the dividend, which is scheduled for Nov. 7.
Court halts Albertsons’ $4B dividend payment under Kroger merger deal
Others peppered the companies with questions about potential store closures or employee layoffs. Kroger and Albertsons have said they will sell or spin off up to 375 Albertsons stores in markets where they currently compete.
"The intent is not to close stores. The intent is to divest stores," Albertsons President and CEO Vivek Sankaran said.
But that didn't ease lawmakers' concerns. Several noted that when Albertsons acquired Safeway in 2015 for $9.2 billion, the FTC required it to divest 168 stores. The largest buyer of those stores filed for bankruptcy protection nine months later and Albertsons wound up buying back some of the locations.
"When divested assets head into bankruptcy in less than a year, that remedy is an embarrassing failure," [Sen. Mike, Utah Republican] Lee said.
lougord99 wrote:Mariano's Northbrook now has a one-way gate that you must go through to get into the store. Only exit is through a cash register.
I'm glad they are so trustful.
Cynthia wrote:lougord99 wrote:Mariano's Northbrook now has a one-way gate that you must go through to get into the store. Only exit is through a cash register.
I'm glad they are so trustful.
I'm sorry some of their customers are so dodgy that this is needed. I know at my Jewel, there is a guy who picks up free food at the local food pantry and then returns it to the store for cash. Of course, Jewel has to throw it out. But in a world where such people exist, I guess stores (which operate on thin margins) have to do something.
lougord99 wrote:Mariano's Northbrook now has a one-way gate that you must go through to get into the store. Only exit is through a cash register.
I'm glad they are so trustful.
Dave148 wrote:lougord99 wrote:Mariano's Northbrook now has a one-way gate that you must go through to get into the store. Only exit is through a cash register.
I'm glad they are so trustful.
I agree. It's also a pain in the butt for the people that use the self checkout by the hot and cold food bars.
Cynthia wrote:I have a friend who likes to stop there for coffee. Wonder if that will still be possible -- because we never go through the cashier area. Just buy coffee, sit and chat, and head out. I guess we'll find out.
Cynthia wrote:I have a friend who likes to stop there for coffee. Wonder if that will still be possible -- because we never go through the cashier area. Just buy coffee, sit and chat, and head out. I guess we'll find out.
lougord99 wrote:Mariano's Northbrook now has a one-way gate that you must go through to get into the store. Only exit is through a cash register.
I'm glad they are so trustful.
JoelF wrote:lougord99 wrote:Mariano's Northbrook now has a one-way gate that you must go through to get into the store. Only exit is through a cash register.
I'm glad they are so trustful.
Which one? Skokie Blvd or Sanders and Willow? I stupidly stop in at the latter every once in a while, and almost always walk out again without most of what I'm looking for (fresh herbs in particular are a point of failure there, something the "old-school" Mariano's aced).
Dave148 wrote:Cynthia wrote:I have a friend who likes to stop there for coffee. Wonder if that will still be possible -- because we never go through the cashier area. Just buy coffee, sit and chat, and head out. I guess we'll find out.
Be flexible. Most of the times that I’m there, the coffee/gelato area isn’t staffed.
ronnie_suburban wrote:Fans of Corporate BS-speak will love some of these notes from yesterday's Senate sub-committee hearing on the pending Kroger-Albertson's merger/acquisition . . .
Lawmakers Skeptical that Grocery Merger Will Mean Lower PricesOthers peppered the companies with questions about potential store closures or employee layoffs. Kroger and Albertsons have said they will sell or spin off up to 375 Albertsons stores in markets where they currently compete.
"The intent is not to close stores. The intent is to divest stores," Albertsons President and CEO Vivek Sankaran said.
But that didn't ease lawmakers' concerns. Several noted that when Albertsons acquired Safeway in 2015 for $9.2 billion, the FTC required it to divest 168 stores. The largest buyer of those stores filed for bankruptcy protection nine months later and Albertsons wound up buying back some of the locations.
"When divested assets head into bankruptcy in less than a year, that remedy is an embarrassing failure," [Sen. Mike, Utah Republican] Lee said.
=R=
Many of the divested stores were in weak locations and were generally not very competitive.
tjr wrote:or shoot, just call it Dominick's and give people what they really want!