Bernie Sanders blasts Kroger’s $24.6B Albertsons deal, calls it ‘absolute disaster’

Fox19 ^ | 10/15/2022 | Victoria Moorwood

[BenLurkin]

The combined sales of the two grocery store chains are nearly $210 billion, putting Kroger about $10 billion shy of U.S. food sales at Walmart, the world’s largest grocer.

Kroger and Albertsons are expected to divest 100 to 375 stores to pacify antitrust concerns, leaving Kroger to operate more than 4,500 stores nationwide, according to the Enquirer. Albertsons’ investors will own a separate company that includes the divested stores.

Both stores currently employ a combined 710,000 associates and operate 4,996 stores, 66 distribution centers, 52 manufacturing plants, 3,972 pharmacies and 2,015 fuel centers in 48 states and Washington D.C.

[ifinnegan]

“Bernie, bud, under socialism there’s only one grocery chain.”

Yeah. He’s for it if the one store is the government.

So the solution of these defenders of the working class is for Ralph’s to divest stores, leading to ten thousand people losing jobs.

[Campion]

When you’re a communist twit like Bernie, everything bad is the result of “corporate greed”.

[DAC21]

“Does this guy actually do anything other than complain or moan about things. Has he accomplished anything other than a big paycheck?”

Don’t forget collecting big payoffs. Lake Cabin anyone?

[libertylover]

I agree with Bernie for once

Why?

[RetiredArmy]

In the article, jack@$$ Bernie accuses that their corporate greed is running rampant with food costs. NO Bernie. It is Joey Biden’s cutting our oil and gas in this nation and causing gas to go higher than sky high!!! THAT is the reason.

[FamiliarFace]

I remember IGAs nearby when I was a kid. The one 2 blocks from the family homestead (Florida) closed up YEARS ago. However, there are a few independent types not too far away from me here in central Indiana. There’s one about a 25 minute drive that’s always had terrific meats. Still go there sometimes, even though the meat manager has moved on to further his career in the industry.

Dollar General has filled in that gap for a lot of folks who need something close by, but I don’t know how much fresh food they have. In certain places, I know they do, as that’s all the community has.

[Partisan Hack]

This merger is a done deal. No negative effect on consumers. Excess stores will be spun off under their own ipo. The free market works again.

[Dr. Sivana]

Are there really any mom and pop grocery stores left after the stupid covid shutdown of entire states? I suppose there are some in remote rural and small towns, but the big chains would have opened stores there if they saw a profit.

Woodman's is a very small employee-owned chain in the Illinois-Wisconsin area. The stores are huge, with phenomenal selection. Prices generally lower than Walmart and Schnucks (local major competitors), and NO TRACKING CARDS.

So, there are non-huge regional/national chain operations that do well.

[Dr. Sivana]

This merger is a done deal. No negative effect on consumers.

We'll see. No one is well-positioned to pick up the gap, and Phoenix is already suffering from the highest food inflation in the country. In Rockford, Schnuck's raised prices almost immediately when they persuaded Kroger to leave the area (Schnucks had Logli, Kroger had Highlander, both top stores in the area). Thankfully, Woodman's picked up the slack with an assist from Meijer, who expanded their turf.

You may be right, but I expect short term exploitation, as happened in Connecticut when Shaw's slid out of the picture, and Stop and Shop raised market share and prices for a while. (Admittedly, Big Y moved in and created new competition, so your point is taken.)

[Lurker]

“Woodman’s is a very small employee-owned chain in the Illinois-Wisconsin area.”

We have one near us. It’s where we buy our gas. It’s always on par with the local Costco and no membership is needed. Their coffee aisle is amazing.

L

[kosciusko51]

Except Bernie might be looking for a payday from Kroger to shut up.

[leaning conservative]

👍

[A Navy Vet]

"So, there are non-huge regional/national chain operations that do well."

Okay, good. However, regional/national are not mom and pop neighborhood stores.

[Dr. Sivana]

However, regional/national are not mom and pop neighborhood stores.

I am sorry for the ambiguity in my phrasing. I should have rendered it, " there are 'non-huge regional/national chain' operations that do well.

While Woodman's is not a mom and pop operation, it is employee owned and is part of the Independent Grocers Association IGA (without using the term). Supermarkets had not formed any truly national corporate chains until Wal-Mart went there.

(Safeway was not truly national, not having any significant penetration in the northeast). Piggly Wiggly might have been national in the '20s, I am not sure.

So, while there are few true mom-n-pop supermarkets, there is a lot of space between a literal mom-and-pop and Kroger/Safeway/Walmart.

[A Navy Vet]

Got it.

[algore]

Because bernie is right. And krogar are evil, i want to have a choice not to shop there

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/4089319/posts

[Grampa Dave]

We have been members since August 1984.

[Clutch Martin]

They both both suck. Overpriced. Future merge will be business as usual, overpriced. Nothing had changed.

[frank ballenger]

Right. I don’t get it.
Commies want “distribution centers” to allow the lowly peasants to get what the government bureaucrats decide is right for them to get. Turnips, okra, defatted flax seed bread, non-dairy oat milk——whatever is judged correct.

So two places driving out their competition together should please the Marxist SOB.

Who incidentally is himself an absolute disaster. How could they re-elect the schmuck?