Will These 10 Idaho Grocery Store Locations Close For Good?

It’s been almost two years since two grocery giants proposed a merger that would significantly impact customers in Idaho.

Fred Meyer’s parent company, Kroger and Albertsons originally announced plans to join forces in October 2022. Since then, multiple agencies have thrown hurdles in front of them. Both Washington and Colorado’s attorney general filed lawsuits to stop the $24.6 billion merger. 

READ MORE: A Popular Idaho Grocery Store Admits to Price Gouging

Throughout late August and September, they appeared in federal court to battle it out with the Federal Trade Commission. While the hearing concluded in mid-September, Supermarket News reports that all parties involved had until Friday, September 27 to submit additional documents to support their arguments. Ultimately, the FTC wants to see a preliminary injunction to further delay the merger while they do their own internal trial. It’s unclear when we could see a ruling in that case. 

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One of the biggest surprises to come out of the FTC hearing? Kroger seemingly admitted that they price gouged their customers while food inflation was at an all time high. While Kroger claims that it looked that way based on cherry-picked emails, an expert told the Cincinnati Enquirer the admission could pose a MAJOR problem for the merger.

Washington’s trial has been going on for three weeks and Colorado’s just started on Monday, September 30. After the first day of the trial, Idaho Albertsons shoppers are wondering if their neighborhood stores will close permanently. 

Idaho Albertsons Stores on the Chopping Block

If you’ve followed the merger at all, you know that the two brands have agreed to divest 579 stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers. Kroger and Albertsons have both repeatedly said that they’re committed to no closing stores or laying off workers. C&S Wholesale Grocers would rebrand the stores they acquire and keep them open under one of their banners. 

It doesn’t seem like Colorado’s assistant attorney general believes that to be true. The Cincinnati Enquirer explains that Arthur Biller called C&S Wholesale Grocers a liquidator, rather than an operator. As the trial opened, he called the brand “opportunistic” and said they had no long-term plans to keep the stores they acquired open. Kroger rebutted, calling his assertions a “conspiracy theory.” 

Meanwhile, Reddit user Dougyv21 says that he just started a new job as a corporate manager here in Boise and the feeling from his superiors is that the merger will eventually happen. He said that they get “merger update” emails at least once a week telling them the status of the legal cases and how to prepare for what’s next. 

As the cases continue to work their way through the legal system, shoppers that love one of these 10 locations are on edge waiting to find out the fate of their store. These are the 10 locations that Albertsons is divesting to C&S Wholesale Grocers in the Gem State.