The chief executive officers of Kroger and Albertsons have insisted that merging would allow the two supermarket companies to lower prices and more effectively compete with retail giants like Walmart and Amazon. Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen and Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran argued for what would be the largest grocery chain merger in U.S. history while testifying on Wednesday during a federal court hearing in Oregon. The Federal Trade Commission is seeking a preliminary injunction to block the $24.6 billion deal. The commission and labor union leaders allege the merger would eliminate competition, lead to a decline in workers' wages and benefits, and raise grocery prices for consumers.
