Kroger to buy Albertsons?

[hotdogPi]

Shaw's has a union. Would this change? I seem to remember that Kroger also has one, but I'm not sure.

[Bruce]

Shaw's has a union. Would this change? I seem to remember that Kroger also has one, but I'm not sure.

In the Northwest, all Kroger (Fred Meyer/QFC) and Albertsons (Albertsons/Safeway) are union. The national UFCW opposes the merger but the Local 555 in Oregon/SW Washington endorsed it for some odd reason.

[Brandon]

Shaw's has a union. Would this change? I seem to remember that Kroger also has one, but I'm not sure.

Depends on where you are as to if they are union or not.

[kphoger]

I'm not many people.  I'm not most people.  I am Kyle, and I am a typical American consumer in Wichita.

You said this wouldn't be good for the typical American consumer anywhere in the country.  Please explain how it will be bad for me.

Wouldn't we need your entire grocery list and bank account balances to do that?

Apparently, |ClassicHasClass| doesn't think so.  He already knows it won't be good for me.

But also, how would that help you determine the answer?  We shop at Aldi and the local Kroger variant.  Would Kroger's acquisition of Albertsons negatively affect the price of the items sold here?

[ClassicHasClass]

... it's not going to be good for the typical American consumer, anywhere in the country.

I'm a typical American consumer, somewhere in the country.  How will this be bad for me?

Odds are for many, even most people that they've just reduced the number of grocery companies serving their local area to one (regardless of what the marquee out front says). You'll have the regional chains still around but this makes it much easier to outlast them with loss leaders and the like. I'm not sure how one could regard this as a neutral development, let alone a positive one.

I'm not many people.  I'm not most people.  I am Kyle, and I am a typical American consumer in Wichita.

You said this wouldn't be good for the typical American consumer anywhere in the country.  Please explain how it will be bad for me.

I did. You disagree that it will be bad, obviously, so I hope it works out for you. I don't think it will and I stand by that.

[kphoger]

Please explain how it will be bad for me.

I did. You disagree that it will be bad, obviously, so I hope it works out for you. I don't think it will and I stand by that.

1.  I'm still trying to figure out where you explained how this will be bad for me and my wife here in Wichita.  Can you please point me to the post where you explained it?

2.  I neither agree nor disagree with you.  What I want is an explanation of how it will be bad for me.  If you can convince me, then I'll be convinced.  I honestly want to know.

[Brandon]

... it's not going to be good for the typical American consumer, anywhere in the country.

I'm a typical American consumer, somewhere in the country.  How will this be bad for me?

Odds are for many, even most people that they've just reduced the number of grocery companies serving their local area to one (regardless of what the marquee out front says). You'll have the regional chains still around but this makes it much easier to outlast them with loss leaders and the like. I'm not sure how one could regard this as a neutral development, let alone a positive one.

I'm not many people.  I'm not most people.  I am Kyle, and I am a typical American consumer in Wichita.

You said this wouldn't be good for the typical American consumer anywhere in the country.  Please explain how it will be bad for me.

I did. You disagree that it will be bad, obviously, so I hope it works out for you. I don't think it will and I stand by that.

How would it be bad for kphoger?  Check the map I posted yesterday; there's no Albertsons stores anywhere near him.  Thus, he'd see no stores being sold off or changing hands.  As for me, I'm a bit concerned as we have both Jewel (Albertsons) and Mariano's (Kroger) in the market  I highly doubt there'd be any price increases as there is plenty of other competition in the area.  My concern is about losing what's become a really decent store, Mariano's, after the demise of Dominick's at the hands of Safeway.

[kphoger]

How would it be bad for kphoger?  Check the map I posted yesterday; there's no Albertsons stores anywhere near him.  Thus, he'd see no stores being sold off or changing hands.  As for me, I'm a bit concerned as we have both Jewel (Albertsons) and Mariano's (Kroger) in the market  I highly doubt there'd be any price increases as there is plenty of other competition in the area.  My concern is about losing what's become a really decent store, Mariano's, after the demise of Dominick's at the hands of Safeway.

FWIW, I have no experience with Mariano's in the Chicago area, because I left the area before the demise of Dominick's.  When I did live there, I did all my shopping at Jewel.

[Brandon]

How would it be bad for kphoger?  Check the map I posted yesterday; there's no Albertsons stores anywhere near him.  Thus, he'd see no stores being sold off or changing hands.  As for me, I'm a bit concerned as we have both Jewel (Albertsons) and Mariano's (Kroger) in the market  I highly doubt there'd be any price increases as there is plenty of other competition in the area.  My concern is about losing what's become a really decent store, Mariano's, after the demise of Dominick's at the hands of Safeway.

FWIW, I have no experience with Mariano's in the Chicago area, because I left the area before the demise of Dominick's.  When I did live there, I did all my shopping at Jewel.

Mariano's was originally founded by one of the guys (Bob Mariano) who headed Dominick's just before it was sold to Safeway.  Mariano was working for Roundy's at the time and fashioned his store after what he though Dominick's should be, better produce selections, some high-end products, while also still being competitive with Jewel.  They became a part of Kroger when Roundy's was bought out by Kroger.