A busy Arlington supermarket would be sold to facilitate the planned merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, the companies publicly disclosed.
The Harris Teeter in the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center at 2425 N. Harrison Street would be divested to C&S Wholesale Grocers under current plans. The store would not close but might be rebranded.
Two other Harris Teeter stores in Northern Virginia, including one in Alexandria, would also be affected.
Under the proposed merger, which was announced two years ago, Kroger would acquire all outstanding shares of Albertsons — a move that would allow the company to expand its footprint to areas where few Kroger-owned stores exist and better compete with larger companies like Walmart and Amazon in the grocery space.
Albertsons owns brands like Safeway, Balducci’s and Supervalu, while Kroger owns Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer and Ralphs.
The transaction has come under fire, however, with some alleging such a deal is anti-competitive.
The Federal Trade Commission sued to block the $24.6 billion merger in February, claiming the deal would ultimately lead to lower-quality goods and higher prices for consumers. Litigation is ongoing, though the divestment proposal is aimed at helping it pass legal muster.
Should the deal ultimately go through it’s not immediately clear what brand, if any, would replace Harris Teeter at Lee-Harrison, but New Hampshire-based C&S is noted for its ownership of Piggly Wiggly.
Photo via Google Maps
