December 11, 2024 3:45 a.m. 

On Tuesday, Judge Adrienne Nelson of the United States District Court for District of Oregon granted the State of Oregon’s request for a preliminary injunction that would block the Kroger-Albertsons merger from proceeding.

Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said Judge Nelson’s ruling confirms her office’s argument that the proposed merger would be harmful to consumers and workers alike.

Rosenblum said, “At a time when higher grocery and pharmacy prices are hurting countless households, today’s decision is a win for Oregonians and a win for competition in the marketplace”.

Rosenblum said she extends her sincere appreciation to the antitrust team at the Oregon Department of Justice, as well as the Federal Trade Commission and Oregon’s partners in the multistate lawsuit: Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

Rosenblum said, “We will continue to monitor this matter and remain vigilant in protecting consumers from anti-competitive behavior and practices”.

Senator Ron Wyden, the outgoing chair of the Senate Finance Committee said, “This is great news for grocery shoppers in Oregon who would have faced higher prices at Kroger and Albertsons if this ill-conceived consolidation had gone through”. Wyden said, “I’m glad the court has shelved this monster deal because in addition to raising grocery prices for shoppers already tiptoeing on an economic tightrope, it would have made it that much harder for Oregonians to find a pharmacy and for workers at both supermarket chains to seek fairer wages and better working conditions”.

The Kroger-Albertson’s deal with also separately blocked by a state court judge in Washington state on Tuesday.