The average case price for beer in grocery stores has increased +16.7% since 2019, with consumers now paying more than $4 more in 2023 than they were pre-pandemic, according to Bump Williams Consulting (BWC) founder Bump Williams in his monthly industry update.
A Washington, D.C. Circuit court panel sided with Albertsons on Tuesday refusing to impose an emergency pause on the grocery chain’s planned $4 billion shareholder dividend filed in the court a month and a half ago.
Grocery market competition, price reduction strategies for consumers, a sustainable plan for necessary divestments and the potential impact on the companies’ combined workforce were key points of contention as the CEOs of Kroger and Albertsons Companies each appeared before the Senate Judiciary Antitrust Committee last week to face tough questions about their companies’ proposed $24.6 billion merger.
The CEOs of Kroger and Albertsons Companies, Rodney McMullen and Vivek Sankaran, respectively, faced intense criticism from the Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee during a hearing Tuesday regarding their plans to execute commitments outlined in the proposed merger agreement.
Southeastern Grocers Inc., the Florida-based operator of the Winn-Dixie and Harvey’s supermarket chains, could be up for sale soon.
Attorneys general from Washington state and the District of Columbia are seeking to temporarily block a $4 billion payout to Albertsons’ shareholders on November 7, filing lawsuits this week to put a hold on the cash dividend at least until the grocery giant’s proposed merger with Kroger can be reviewed by federal regulators.
Kroger has announced a definitive agreement on a $24.6 billion deal to acquire Albertsons, bringing the country’s two largest grocery chains together.
