Big update at retailer and Walmart rival will affect 300 stores – but shoppers needn’t worry as ‘new buyer swoops in’

AS two of the nation's largest grocery store chains look to sell off hundreds of locations, Amazon has emerged as a likely buyer.

The potential sale of between 250 and 300 Kroger and Albertsons stores comes after the companies agreed to merge last October.

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Because both chains are already so ubiquitous, the deal has been held up due to potential antitrust issues, Local12 reported.

Federal regulators, lawmakers, and advocacy groups are concerned that with their forces combined, Kroger and Albertsons could drive out competitors in some parts of the country.

To appease the naysayers, the companies hope to strategically reduce their presence in certain markets by shedding hundreds of stores.

But that doesn't mean the locations will shut down.

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"Kroger will not close any stores, distribution centers or manufacturing facilities as a result of this merger, including stores that may need to be divested to obtain regulatory approval," a company spokesperson said.

"No exceptions, no excuses.

"Any divested stores (will be) sold to qualified operators with appropriate management experience, a sound business plan, strong balance sheet and the financial stability."

One potential buyer is Amazon, which is said to have long been looking to expand its presence in the grocery market.

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The online retailer bought Whole Foods in 2017, but executives are looking to expand the company's physical grocery footprint even more, the Cincinnati Business Courier reported.

There are reportedly some other potential buyers, including Dollar General or Ahold Delhaize, the Dutch company which operates Giant and Food Lion.

But some Americans are concerned that Kroger and Albertsons merging could drive up grocery prices nationwide as many shoppers are already struggling with inflation.

That includes said Stacy Mitchell, the co-executive director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a non-profit focused on community development.

"It's hard to see any upside to this merger for anybody other than the top executives at these two companies and their investors," she said on an episode of the Pitchfork Economics podcast last year.

A 2012 study from the Federal Trade Commission found that while mergers tend to lower retail prices in rural and underserved areas, they often raise them in more competitive, concentrated markets.

If they merge at their current size, Kroger and Albertsons will control more than 5,000 stores, or about 13percent of the US grocery market.

Albertsons did not immediately respond to The U.S. Sun's request for comment.

Amazon declined to comment.