Shreveport Grocery Store Might Be Safe, for Now

SHREVEPORT, LA – The proposal to sell a Shreveport grocery store to the group that owns Piggly Wiggly might be on the back burner today.

Get our free mobile app

A massive grocery merger deal is now on hold pending court action in the case. The Wall Street Journal reports Kroger and Albertsons have announced the $20 billion merger deal is being paused for now while antitrust enforcers pursue lawsuits to try to block the deal.

When Did This Merger Begin?

Kroger announced the planned merger back in late 2022. Kroger and Albertsons would be merging creating the largest supermarket chain in the nation. Kroger executives argued this deal would let them better compete with big box stores and online giant Amazon in the consumer arena.

Why Is the Deal on Hold?

Kroger and Albertsons have agreed to this temporary injunction after a lawsuit was filed by the Attorney General in Colorado. The AG claims this massive grocery deal would “reduce competition and harm consumers, workers and suppliers.”

The companies agreed to the temporary injunction in Colorado which will pump the brakes on the deal until the Colorado hearing.

There is also a legal case in federal court because the Federal Trade Commission claims this deal would increase prices for consumers and will hurt bargaining power for workers of the grocery company. That federal case is set to be heard next month.

The judge in the federal case could issue a ruling before the hearing begins in Colorado. There is also another pending case in the state of Washington.

A Kroger spokesperson says this move is “welcome news.”

“We look forward to defending in court how the combination of Kroger and Albertsons will provide meaningful, measurable benefits, including lower prices and more choices for families across the country and more opportunities for stable, well-paying union jobs.”

Earlier this summer Kroger put out a list of stores that would be sold off to C&S Wholesale Grocers which operates Piggly Wiggly stores across the nation.

READ MORE: See more about the grocery merger deal.

Under this merger deal Kroger and Albertsons would divest 124 stories in Washington, 101 in Arizona, 91 in Colorado, 63 in California, 62 in Oregon, 35 in Illinois and 28 in Texas. But several other states will be losing stores in this process.

This list includes a store in Lake Charles and the Albertson’s store on Southfield in Shreveport. Ironically, the Southfield Store has just completed a renovation with the addition of a Starbucks.