They can also artificially lower prices in certain areas, destroy local mom and pop stores, and after those close they raise prices.
They also keep employees 1 hour under full time so they don’t receive benefits, and they sell ChiCom trash.
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. There aren't enough buyers in those remote towns. It's the cities and suburbs that the chains target.
I know nothing of the grocery business, but I do know that big chain expansion looks at demographics and area growth and potential net profit. I read almost daily about big chains closing stores, and not all because of increased crime. I'm not sure where I stand on this merger. So why am I commenting at all? Because I remember in my youth a friendly mom/pop store being 2 blocks away.