The Kroger Co. repeated its promises of potential benefits of its pending acquisition of Albertsons Cos., with the company pointing to past success in lowering prices and upgrading stores in two prior mergers. The planned combination, on track to be completed by August, will have profound effects on shoppers as well as employees in Arizona.
Kroger, the parent of Fry’s Food Stores and a handful of Smith’s locations in Arizona, cited its ability to lower prices, upgrade stores and improve customer experiences. The company cited similar results after its 2014 purchase of Harris Teeter, a supermarket chain with stores in the Southeast, and following the 2016 merger with Roundy’s, a chain centered in Wisconsin and Illinois.
“We believe the way to be America’s best grocer is to provide great value by consistently lowering prices and offering more choices. When we do this, more customers shop with us and buy more groceries, which allows us to reinvest in even lower prices, a better shopping experience, and higher wages,” said Rodney McMullen, chairman and CEO of Kroger, in a statement released Feb. 13.