Grocery Workers, Elected Officials, & Community Leaders In Colorado Ask The FTC To Stop The Merger Of Kroger, Parent Company Of King Soopers & City Market, And Safeway-Albertsons

For Immediate Release: April 7, 2023

Contact: Marcela Salazar, misalazar@ufcw7.com | 720-434-7550 

The Stop the Merger Coalition executed a national week of action, including reusable grocery bag giveaways & consumer outreach in front of 65 King Soopers (Kroger) & Safeway (Albertsons) stores in the Denver Metro Area

Denver- Today, members of the Stop the Merger coalition gave away 5,000 “Stop the Merger” reusable grocery bags and reached out to hundreds of shoppers in front of 65 King Soopers (Kroger) and Safeway (Albertsons) stores in the Denver metropolitan area to educate shoppers about the negative impacts of the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger will have on jobs, food prices and access to essential goods.

This was a part of a national week of action by the broader Stop the Merger coalition of over 100 national, state and local organizations who share one common goal: to ask the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to stop the proposed Kroger-Albertsons grocery megamerger from moving forward and block its negative impact on both consumer and labor markets. 

Various coalition partners and elected officials from Colorado who supported the action in Denver today said the following:

Dave Young, Colorado State Treasurer:

“This merger puts workers' jobs at risk, saddles consumers with higher food prices, and hurts farmers and other food producers -- all in the name of higher profits for Wall Street investors.  Competition in the free market is good; but this merger significantly reduces competition. At a time of higher prices for everything, we must avoid hurting the pocketbooks of hard-working families across Colorado and the country.”

Kim Cordova, President of UFCW Local 7 and Vice President of UFCW International:

“Grocery workers, farmers, ranchers and shoppers helped Kroger and Albertsons-- who operate under the banners King Soopers, City Market and Safeway in Colorado-- make billions in profits during the pandemic. Yet somehow their exorbitant profit margins weren’t enough and now they want to merge to create a food monopoly in many of our communities. UFCW Local 7 opposes this megamerger because thousands of workers could lose their jobs because of potential store closures, it would adversely impact hard won union pensions and health benefits, increase prices for shoppers, and negatively impact the food supply chain we all depend on.”

Chad Franke, President of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union:

“Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and the family farmers and ranchers that we represent oppose the merger of Kroger and Albertsons. If approved, this merger would have detrimental effects on family-sized agriculture, no matter where producers are in the value chain, by decreasing competition and access to equitable market negotiations for family farmers and ranchers. We are proud to be the voice for farmers and ranchers because many producers who sell more directly with these buyers have very real concerns about retaliation if they speak out against the merger. The merger would also almost certainly hurt rural communities through the closure of countless grocery stores that serve rural America and through increased prices at the register by further decreasing competition, which we saw previously following the merger between Albertsons and Safeway.”

Sofia Solano, Organizing Director at Colorado Jobs with Justice:

“Colorado Jobs with Justice believes this merger will be an attack on union workers and a continued tactic to crush union contracts. As we saw in the Safeway-Albertsons merger, union stores will be the first stores to close and be divested. During this time of economic downturn, it is imperative that we come together as workers and consumers to stop this merger.”

Rev. Chris Gilmore, Pastor of Sixth Avenue United Church of Christ and leader of Coloradans for the Common Good:

“Coloradans for the Common Good oppose this proposed merger because, as we learned during the pandemic, our food supply is fragile and any disruptions will harm our most vulnerable sisters and brothers, including the elderly, low-income workers, and people with disabilities.  We stand for shared prosperity, not predatory financial schemes that put profit above people.”

Nina DiSalvo, Policy Director, Towards Justice:

“Towards Justice is proud to support grocery workers and consumers in their fight to stop the Kroger-Albertsons merger. The merger could close Colorado grocery stores, increase prices for essential goods, and undermine worker bargaining power. Corporate consolidation is hurting real people, and we are so proud to partner with the workers who are fighting back.”

Just last month, the Stop the Merger, a growing national opposition of over 100 organizations, announced the launch of the NoGroceryMerger.com website as a national and state-level effort to oppose the proposed $25 billion merger of Kroger and Albertsons because the transaction would create a monopoly in many areas across the country, including Colorado and Wyoming.

Both these chains have stores and manufacturing facilities in nearly every state, employing over 700,000 workers across their numerous local banners. The megamerger, currently undergoing FTC review, would threaten to drive out competition, increase food prices, create food deserts, and put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk, as well as hurt local farmers and ranchers. 

For more information on the negative impact of the megamerger, please visit: NoGroceryMerger.com.  

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The Stop the Merger campaign includes over 100 national, state and local organizations representing diverse interests who share a common goal: to stop the proposed Kroger-Albertsons grocery merger because of its negative impact on our nation’s communities. For more information visit www.NoGroceryMerger.com