As a single-person household who does not shop for groceries at Amazon, Walmart, and only rarely at Costco because the quantities are too large, I am greatly concerned about the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger’s impacts on the availability and cost of my grocery purchases. I am so concerned that I compared my purchases today at Kroger (Fred Meyer) and Albertsons (Carrs/Safeway).
Among my purchases of 10 fresh, non-dairy/gluten free, dental, and dog food items from Fred Meyer, five were unavailable at Carrs. Three of the remaining items were cheaper at Fred Meyer and two were cheaper at Carrs, indicating that price competition may be working.
Based on these purchases, it appears that if the Kroger-Albertsons merger proceeds and the new retailer fails, e.g., due to Alaska supply chain challenges, the resulting grocery monopoly would reduce choices and raise prices for Anchorage residents.
As Veri de Suvero from AKPIRG and former Attorney General Bruce Botelho wrote in a Sept. 13 ADN opinion piece, “Alaska is poised to be one of the states most impacted by the Kroger-Albertsons merger … AG Taylor should get off the sidelines and be at the table with the FTC to prevent a grocery monopoly in our state.”
— Lois Epstein
Anchorage
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