Kroger has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), aiming to prevent the regulator from reviewing its $25 billion merger with Albertsons through its in-house tribunal. Kroger, one of the largest grocery chains in the US, contends that the FTC's in-house review process is unconstitutional and should be addressed in federal court. The lawsuit, initiated in Cincinnati, comes ahead of a trial where the FTC seeks a federal judge's intervention to temporarily block the merger while its internal review is underway.
The FTC argues that the merger would likely lead to increased prices for consumers and negatively impact the labor market for unionized grocery workers. Kroger Chairman Rodney McMullen expressed readiness to defend the merger in federal court, criticizing the FTC's tribunal as an unlawful proceeding. The in-house review process could potentially extend over several years, according to Kroger.
