NV AG, FTC chair to host additional listening sessions on proposed supermarket merger

Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan will be in Southern Nevada on Wednesday to hear feedback from the public about the proposed merger between supermarket giants Kroger and Albertsons.

Khan’s visit is part of an expanded series of ‘listening sessions’ hosted by Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford as part of a larger investigation into the potential impact of the country’s largest dedicated grocery chain buying the country’s second largest dedicated grocery chain. 

Ford held the first of the listening sessions late last month. On Tuesday he announced eight additional listening sessions — six across Southern Nevada and two in Reno. Khan will attend three listening sessions scheduled for Wednesday — one at Henderson City Council Chambers, one at North Las Vegas City Hall, and one at the Andre Agassi Boys and Girls Club in Las Vegas.

Additional sessions in Carson City and Elko will be announced in the future, according to a news release.

Kroger, which operates as Smith’s in Nevada, has proposed buying Albertsons, which also includes Safeway and Vons, for $24.6 billion in a deal they hope to close early next year. That deal is subject to regulatory approval by the FTC and has drawn criticism and concerns from elected officials, antitrust advocates and one of the country’s largest private sector unions.

Kroger and Albertsons last week announced their intent to sell more than 400 stores nationwide , including 15 Albertsons stores in Nevada, in an effort to address antitrust issues.

Ford’s office is also collecting feedback via an online survey.