On December 11th, 2024, Judge Adrienne Nelson, appointed by President Biden, granted the administration’s request for a preliminary injunction against a proposed merger between Kroger Co., based in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Albertsons Companies, Inc., based in Boise, Idaho. The FTC claimed the merger would result in a monopoly that would raise consumer prices. White House National Economic Council Deputy Director Jon Donenberg said, “The Kroger-Albertsons merger would have been the biggest supermarket merger in history—raising grocery prices for consumers and lowering wages for workers.” The companies subsequently terminated their merger agreement.
