FTC Wants to Block the $24.6 Billion Deal Which Would Combine Jewel and Mariano’s | Eater Chicago

"As the parent company of a long-standing Chicago-area grocery chain, this company is at the center of a proposed $24.6 billion merger that would combine its assets with another major grocer to create an entity with roughly 5,000 stores and about 13% of the U.S. grocery market. Regulators and state attorneys general argue the deal would reduce competition, raise prices for shoppers, and put downward pressure on grocery workers’ wages and benefits. Company representatives counter that the merger would help neighborhood supermarkets compete with larger multi-channel retailers, lower prices, protect union jobs, increase associate wages, and improve the customer experience, and they have expressed disappointment with the FTC’s legal challenge while preparing to present their case in court." - Ashok Selvam