What Really Happened with the Albertsons-Kroger Merger

In today's America, it seems everything is settled in the courtroom. For what seems like years, the public was told the Albertsons / Kroger merger was a great deal for consumers, companies, and workers.

Just like when a couple breaks up, both sides appear to be kissing and telling. As we've reported, Albertsons is suing Krogers for around 600 million dollars for failing to secure the mergers. Courtroom documents have become known to the public, and they reveal a lot about the inner workings of this intriguingly bungled deal.

The Idaho Statesman revealed that some court documents indicate Kroger had 'buyer's remorse,' a legal term referring to a situation where a party regrets a decision or a course of action. In this case, Kroger regretted agreeing to the merger. As we speculated and confirmed, Kroger wanted to eliminate the bad stores and keep the good ones for the merged companies.

Albertsons believed other buyers, possibly competitors or investors, should've been approached about buying the stores due to the merger. This belief suggests other potential outcomes for the stores involved in the merger. Grocery stores face greater challenges due to increased competition from Walmart and Amazon. Albertsons is a unique grocery chain started in Boise that continues to support local charities and nonprofits.      

Albertsons stated they would have to close stores if the merger wasn't approved. Will they follow through on this? Could we see the company looking for another partner to merge with?

Will Albertsons win its suit against Kroger? Legal speculation is that there will be an out-of-court settlement. The only people who win in lawsuits are the lawyers who represent one side or the other.

We'll continue to update you on this story as it develops.