FTC’s Albertsons/Safeway Settlement Is Largest Supermarket Divestiture to Date

Two major supermarket operators agreed to divest 168 supermarket outlets to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that their proposed $9.2 billion merger may be anticompetitive in 130 local markets in eight states, according to a Jan. 27 proposed settlement (In re Cerberus Institutional Partners V, L.P., FTC, File No. 141 0108).

The proposed settlement with Albertsons and Safeway Inc., requiring sales to four buyers, would be the FTC’s largest supermarket divestiture order to date. The areas of potentially anticompetitive effects are located in Arizona, California, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

FTC Chairman Edith Ramirez said: ...