Kroger and Albertsons head to court to defend merger plan

By Leah Nylen and Jaewon Kang | Bloomberg

Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. are finally getting their day in court.

Nearly two years after the merger was announced, the grocery giants on Monday start a federal court hearing in Portland, Oregon, on the US Federal Trade Commission’s bid to block the $24.6 billion deal. The FTC alleges the tie-up would lead to higher grocery prices for consumers and lower wages for the supermarkets’ unionized workforces.

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