Attempted acquisition of Albertsons by Kroger

In October 2022, American grocery chain Kroger agreed to purchase rival Albertsons for $24.6 billion. Both companies, comprising two of the largest supermarket chains in the United States, serve most of the country's mid-tier grocery market. Kroger planned to compete with non-union grocery chain Amazon Fresh, which includes Whole Foods Market, discount department store chains Target and Walmart, and the warehouse club retail chains Costco and Sam's Club. This merger would have created one of the largest grocery store chains in the United States, combining nearly 5,000 stores and employing approximately 700,000 people.

In February 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit to block the merger stating the deal would raise prices, lower quality, limit choices for consumers, and harm workers. In December 2024, a U.S. District Judge agreed with the FTC, that the merger would risk reducing competition at the expense of both consumers and workers. The federal judge halted Kroger's acquisition of Albertsons. The merger was also simultaneously halted by a Washington state judge that ruled the merger violated consumer-protection laws within the state. Both companies terminated the deal following the rulings.