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☆ As their customers age, Macy's, Kohl's and Nordstrom are chasing younger shoppers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In this article JWNKSSM Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTSignage of Macy's, Kohl's and Nordstrom retail stores. Department stores like Macy's , Kohl's and Nordstrom face an existential crisis, as they try to persuade investors to bet on their futures while sales slow and their core customers age. Melissa Repko | CNBCTo attract younger shoppers, Kohl's is adding trendier clothing for teens, opening more Sephora shops and bulking up its baby department. At the same time, Macy's is trying to go where younger shoppers are, including suburban strip malls and beauty aisles. The company plans to open up to 30 of its smaller off-mall Macy's stores over the next two years.

Persons: hasn't, Nordstrom, Oliver Chen, Cowen, Chen, Kohl's, Melissa Repko, Tom Kingsbury, Maxx, Kingsbury, Macy's, It's, Tony Spring, He's, TD Cowen's Chen, Scott Olson Organizations: Nordstrom, Getty Images Department, Department, Wall, Baby Boomers, Boomers, CNBC, Target, Costco, Getty Locations: Kohl's, Macy's, Sephora, Bluemercury, Bloomie's, Zara, Chicago , Illinois

☆ Is America ready for a $400 pineapple? Luxury fruit is now a thing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The Rubyglow pineapple –— bred for its distinctive red exterior and its sweetness — costs $395.99 at Melissa’s Produce, a California-based seller of specialty fruit and veggies. It took Del Monte, a wholesaler which sells a variety of produce but specializes in pineapple, a decade and a half to develop the red-hued fruit. And yet, there’s interest in premium fruit — enough to convince Del Monte to bring the Rubyglow, which is grown in Costa Rica, stateside. Courtesy Fresh Del MonteThe Pinkglow was never supposed to be a grocery list staple, said Melissa Mackay, VP of marketing in North America at Del Monte. Melissa’s started with 50 pineapples, according to Robert Schueller, director of public relations at Melissa’s Produce.

Persons: Del, ”, Cindy van Rijswick, “ there’s, Cotton Candy, McIntosh, Jim Luby, Patrick T, Fallon, Luby, Lane Turner, Oishii, Hiroki Koga, Jerod Harris, Melissa Mackay, “, It’s, Melanie Zanoza Bartelme, pricey, Hailey, Strawberry, it’s, Melissa’s, Robert Schueller, ” Schueller, Bo Corley, ” Corley, Corley Organizations: New, New York CNN, “, University of Minnesota, Getty, Rabobank, Citrus, Boston Globe, Vox Media, Del, Mintel, Melissa’s Locations: New York, California, Del Monte, China, United States, America, Costa Rica, AFP, Minnesota, Beverly Hills , California, North America, Erewhon, Angeles, Las Vegas, Southern California

☆ Walmart says more diners are buying its groceries as fast food gets pricey
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart wants diners to find a value meal in its grocery aisles. As fast food gets pricier, the nation's largest grocer sees a sales opportunity. As customers see some grocery items stay the same price or even become cheaper, the gap between buying menu items and cooking food at home has grown even wider, he said. As of April, the price of food at home, a category that measures the total cost of food purchased at grocers or other food stores, was up 1.1% year over year. The price of food away from home rose significantly more: 4.1% year over year.

Persons: John David Rainey, McDonald's, Chris Kempczinski, John Furner, Furner, — CNBC's Amelia Lucas Organizations: Walmart, CNBC, Yum Brands, Management Solutions, Restaurant, U.S . Labor Department, Walmart U.S Locations: U.S, Connecticut

☆ How to generate some return on Costco after a nice rally, without having to sell the stake
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Michael Khouw | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

How I think about Jim Simons' legacy, and a trade on one of the most successful retailers, Costco, follows. First, a contrarian view in Costco: Costco (COST) is one of the best performing retailers over the past year. Last week, Costco released their four-week retail sales results for the period between Monday, April 8th and Sunday, May 5th. There is only one thing I don't like about Costco, the price. The weak form suggests past market prices, which are generally observable, are fully reflected in stock prices.

Persons: Jim Simons, that's, Jim, James Surowiecki, Francis Galton, Eugene Fama Organizations: Costco, Fund Locations: Costco, U.S, New York, Surowiecki

☆ Walmart launches new grocery brand, as it tries to hang on to inflation-fueled growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

And its low-priced reputation has helped the company attract higher income grocery shoppers as inflation pinches budgets. On Tuesday, the big-box retailer said it will roll out a private label called BetterGoods, a line of more trend-and chef-driven foods. Walmart is debuting a new grocery brand, as the discounter tries to retain the shoppers it has attracted during a period of high inflation. Another grocery brand it debuted, Favorite Day, is made up of creative takes on ice cream bars and trail mixes. The new private brand will join Walmart's existing collection of private brands in the grocery department, which includes Great Value — the country's largest private grocery brand by revenue, according to Numerator, a market research firm.

Persons: Costco's Kirkland, Kroger Organizations: Walmart, Aldi, Grocers, Target, Smart Locations: U.S

Has South Africa Truly Defeated Apartheid? U.S.A., 2020 – 63% U.K., 2019 – 62% 60% 49% 40% 20% 1994 2004 2014 2019 Sources: Collette Schulz-Herzenberg, "The South African non-voter: An analysis"; Konrad Adenaur Stiftung, 2020 (South Africa); Pew Research (United States and U.K.)On a continent where coups, autocrats and flawed elections have become common, South Africa is a widely admired exception. −4% −6% Sources: Harvard Growth Lab analysis of World Economic Outlook (South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa) and World Development Indicators (upper-middle-income countries). 50% unemployment rate 40% Black unemployment rate 30% The unemployment gap between Black and white South Africans remains wide. In 2022, about 6 percent of South Africans aged 18 to 29 were enrolled in higher education, according to Statistics South Africa.

Persons: Nelson Mandela, they’ve, Collette Schulz, Konrad Adenaur Stiftung, —, Walter Sisulu, Joao Silva, New York Times Jack Martins, ”, Mandela’s, Wandile Sihlobo, Johann Kirsten, Sihlobo, Kirsten, haven’t, Zinhle Nene, Peter Mokoena, “, Mokoena, Nokuthula Mabe, Mabe, Jacob Zuma, Chrispin Phiri, Cyril Ramaphosa, Israel, Sibusiso Zikode, Zikode, Mr Organizations: African National Congress, Pew Research, Human Sciences Research, World Bank, Black South, Charter, New York Times, University of Cape Town’s Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Economic Empowerment, South, Harvard, Economic, Government, Black, Mr, Stellenbosch University . White, Statistics, Security, JOHANNESBURG Jobs, JOHANNESBURG Sandton Downtown, West University, Education, Statistics South, General Household Survey, of, Stellenbosch University, Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services, Institute for Security Studies, International Court of Justice Locations: Africa, South Africa, Black, States, Soweto, Kliptown, Johannesburg, South, Saharan Africa, Carletonville, JOHANNESBURG, Downtown Soweto, JOHANNESBURG Sandton, JOHANNESBURG Sandton Downtown Soweto, North, Mahikeng, Botswana, Statistics South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, African, Germany, Russia, India, China, Ethiopia, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Ukraine, New York Times South Africa, Gaza, Durban, South Africa’s

☆ Republican House panel launches probe into Biden's FTC-DOJ task force on corporate pricing
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The timing of the Strike Force announcement, in an election year, raises the likelihood that political motivations rather than the interests of American consumers drove the action," House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said in the letter. The Strike Force is jointly led by the FTC and the Department of Justice, which have been at the front lines of the Biden administration's regulatory agenda over the past several years. Comer alleged in the letter that "this pattern" of blaming corporate-pricing practices for inflation "signals that the new FTC-DOJ Strike Force will be used as a political tool." But Biden's logic that companies are the ones responsible for high prices, not his economic agenda, could be taking hold with voters. A March survey found that respondents blamed recent price hikes on "large corporations taking advantage of inflation" more than Democratic policies.

Persons: Lina M, Khan, Bill Nelson, Joe Biden's, Lina Khan, Biden, James Comer, Jonathan Kanter, Comer, —, Biden's Organizations: Commerce, Science, NASA, Capitol, Republican, CNBC, Federal Trade, Strike Force, Force, U.S, FTC, Department of Justice, Biden, Kroger, Albertsons, DOJ Strike Force, Democratic Locations: Washington , U.S, Ky

☆ Amazon hired an ex-Trader Joe's employee to access company secrets and replicate products from the grocer: WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

According to the Journal, Amazon appeared to have a model it wanted to replicate for Wickedly Prime: Trader Joe's. AdvertisementAccording to the report, Amazon wanted to replicate the top 200 items sold at Trader Joe's. The Amazon manager also pressed the ex-Trader Joe's employee for data on the margins for each product. The former Trader Joe's employee's experience gives an inside look at Amazon's broader, aggressive efforts to compete with other grocers. Trader Joe's established a cult following with its customers partly by developing snacks and foods through its private label.

Persons: —, Joe's, Nakia Rohde Organizations: Service, Street Journal, Amazon, Business, Wickedly Prime, The, Foods

☆ What’s open and closed on Easter Day 2024?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion. Here’s what’s open and closed on Easter Sunday 2024. Most Kroger stores and the grocery stores under its umbrella will be open on Easter, the company said. Postal servicesSince it’s a Sunday, United States Postal Service won’t be delivering mail. There will be no UPS pickup or delivery service, and UPS Store locations may be closed but Express Critical will be available.

Persons: Jesus Christ, Jesus, TJ Maxx Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Retail Federation, Retail, Costco, Sam’s, Kroger, Shoppers, Walmart, New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, United States Postal Service, FedEx Locations: New York, HomeGoods, Sierra

☆ 1,000 dollar stores are closing. These cities have revolted against them for years
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But critics of Family Dollar and other dollar store chains’ business practices like Hall-Harper say the closures highlight the risks of communities relying too heavily on dollar store chains. Hall-Harper has led Tulsa’s effort to restrict the growth of the three major dollar store chains — Family Dollar, Dollar Tree and Dollar General — in the predominately Black area of North Tulsa. Dollar General said it regularly hears from communities and customers asking it to bring a Dollar General store to their hometown. Backlash to dollar storesDollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar have spread rapidly since the Great Recession, opening more than 15,000 small stores. US regulators reached a settlement last year with Dollar Tree over hazardous conditions in Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores.

Persons: Vanessa Hall, Harper, “ I’ve, —, ”, Dollar, Critics, Blaine Griffin, Meijer, Stacy Mitchell, ” Mitchell Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Dollar, Tulsa, Institute of Local, Chicago City, University of Toronto, UCLA, United States, Local, Research, University of Georgia, Cleveland City, Walmart, Target, Agriculture Department, Institute for Local, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Kroger, Albertsons Locations: New York, Tulsa , Oklahoma, North Tulsa, Tulsa, Tulsa ; Cleveland ; New Orleans, Birmingham , Alabama, Fort Worth , Texas, Akron , Ohio, United, Cleveland, Chicago, Baltimore

☆ This ‘6 to 1’ trick might make your grocery shopping easier
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Karla Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

@chefwillco My 6 to 1 grocery method makes shopping cheaper and easier! Let me know how you like this grocery shopping method. The benefits of the 6 to 1 methodColeman made a fresh cheddar apple Cobb salad using his grocery hack. And you can definitely make several meals out of four proteins,” Largeman-Roth said. How to make the 6 to 1 method work for youColeman created his hack to get control of his grocery budget.

Persons: Will Coleman, Coleman, “ You’re, @chefwillco, Will Coleman “, ”, he’s, Joe’s, Will Coleman Frances Largeman, Roth, Largeman, Eva Cruz, ” Largeman, “, ” Peek, ” Coleman, Karla Walsh Organizations: CNN, Foods Locations: New York City, Dobbs, , New York, brussels, Des Moines , Iowa

☆ Grocers are trying to get orders to your door faster than ever — here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Walmart expanded its same-day delivery offering to allow shoppers to get online purchases dropped off earlier in the morning. With same-day deliveries, the three retailers are not only trying to outmatch one another on convenience. With Target's announcement this week, Walmart, Target and Kroger will all have paid membership programs with home deliveries as one of the benefits. Kroger has used online delivery to break into new regions of the country, including Florida, without opening a single grocery store. Walmart and Target both beat Wall Street's sales expectations for the holiday quarter, but said shoppers are still very value-focused.

Persons: Kroger, Michael Baker, Davidson, Davidson's Baker, John David Rainey, Rodney McMullen, That's, McMullen, We've Organizations: Target, Walmart, D.A, Kroger, Costco, Albertsons, FTC, Wall Locations: U.S, Florida

☆ Cramer's week ahead: Watch for earnings from Target, CrowdStrike, Kroger and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Friday told investors what to look for next week on Wall Street, including earnings from retailers like Target . Tuesday brings earnings from Target and Cramer said he's optimistic about the big-box retailer's performance. On Thursday, Cramer will be paying attention to earnings from grocers Kroger and Costco , as well as Marvell Technology . Friday brings February's unemployment report. If there's a slight boost in unemployment while wages stay steady, Cramer said he thinks investors won't have to fight the Fed.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Cramer, Forget, he'll, it's, George Kurtz, Campbell Soup, Kroger's, he's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Palo Alto Networks, Abercrombie, Fitch, Kroger, Costco, Marvell Technology, Federal Trade Commission, Albertsons

☆ Blocking Kroger’s mega-merger with Albertsons won’t save your local grocery store
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

High grocery prices helped scuttle the dealInflation at the grocery store loomed over the proposed merger. Over the past four years, grocery prices have risen significantly,” the FTC said in its lawsuit. Kroger had committed to invest $500 million in lower prices and $1.3 billion to improve Albertsons’ stores if the merger cleared. Yet consolidation in the grocery sector is growing, and small grocery stores are struggling. Traditional grocery stores have also lost ground to Walmart, Costco, dollar stores and online retailers during that span.

Persons: it’s, Kroger, Ash, “, ” Greg Ferrara, Joe Biden, Lina Khan, Khan, Marc Perrone, ” Sen, Elizabeth Warren, ” Joe Feldman Organizations: New, New York CNN, Kroger, Albertsons ’, Albertsons, Walmart, FTC, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Albertsons Cos, Safeway, Bloomberg, Getty, Agriculture Department, Costco, Independent, National Grocers Association, Meta, Microsoft, Unions, Democrats, Food, Commercial Workers ’, ”, Top Democratic, Twitter, Aldi, Activision, Telsey Advisory Locations: New York, Scottsdale , Arizona

☆ FTC sues to block Kroger, Albertsons merger, arguing deal would raise grocery prices and hurt workers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Essential grocery store workers would also suffer under this deal, facing the threat of their wages dwindling, benefits diminishing, and their working conditions deteriorating." Kroger said in a statement that blocking the deal "will actually harm the very people the FTC purports to serve: America's consumers and workers." The company also pledged $500 million to reduce prices for customers and $1 billion to raise employee wages and expand benefits. Two unions that represent Kroger and Albertsons employees, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union and the Teamsters union, opposed the deal. Higher grocery prices have irked consumers and become a hot topic on the campaign trail.

Persons: Henry Liu, Kroger, Albertsons, Biden, Joe Biden, Rodney McMullen Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Kroger, Albertsons, FTC, Washington D.C, Walmart, Amazon, Costco, White, United Food, Commercial Workers International Union, Teamsters Locations: Arizona , California, Washington, , Illinois, Maryland , Nevada , New Mexico , Oregon, Wyoming, FTC's

☆ US government sues to block largest supermarket merger in history
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The Federal Trade Commission on Monday sued to block the $25 billion deal between Kroger and Albertsons, alleging the largest supermarket merger in US history would lead to higher prices for consumers. The merger, announced in 2022, sought to combine the fifth and tenth largest retailers in the country. “This supermarket mega merger comes as American consumers have seen the cost of groceries rise steadily over the past few years. With the FTC’s blessing, Haggen, a small supermarket chain in the Northwest with just 18 locations, bought 146 of the former Albertsons and Safeway stores. She criticized the FTC’s handling of Albertsons’ deal with Safeway, pointing to it as a prime example of the limitations of divestitures.

Persons: Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, Kroger, Rodney McMullen, Henry Liu, Piggly, Khan, Lina Khan, Haggen, ” Khan, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FTC, Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Competition, S Wholesale Grocers, Democrats, Republicans, Capitol Locations: New York, United States, Aldi, FTC’s, Northwest

☆ Instacart's CEO says that warehouses full of robots won't replace its gig workers anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Don't expect Instacart to replace its gig worker shoppers with robots anytime soon. Instacart CEO Fidji Simo says the company can deliver faster and more efficiently using its human shoppers. That's a contrast with companies like Kroger, which have built warehouses to automate order picking. Kroger has a network of warehouses that it built with British grocer Ocado, where robots and some humans assemble orders, for instance. Human workers still drive to customers' homes to deliver the orders.

Persons: Fidji Simo, —, Kroger, Ocado Organizations: Kroger, Service, Business

☆ Instacart to lay off 250 employees, or about 7% of the company, as part of restructuring
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Instacart on Tuesday announced it would lay off about 250 employees, or roughly 7% of the company, as part of a restructuring. The news came as the company reported fourth-quarter earnings that fell roughly in line with analysts' revenue estimates. Three top executives are also departing the company for personal reasons, according to Instacart: Chief Operating Officer Asha Sharma, Chief Technology Officer Varouj Chitilian and chief architect JJ Zhuang. The company posted fourth-quarter revenue of $803 million, roughly in line with the $804 million that Wall Street expected, according to analyst estimates from LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv. In September, Instacart went public in one of the first significant venture-backed tech IPOs since December 2021.

Persons: Instacart, Asha Sharma, Varouj Chitilian, JJ Zhuang Organizations: Google, CNBC PRO Locations: LSEG

☆ I'm a Canadian who's lived in NYC and Toronto. Quality of life is better in Canada, but I still prefer the US.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Anna Haines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

After eight years of living between New York City and Toronto, I find the quality of living is better in Canada. And yet, as a Canadian, I still prefer living in the US — particularly New York City — over my home country. I think Americans are friendlier than CanadiansThe stereotype is that Canadians are nice, and I think that does hold true. In my experience traveling across the US and meeting Americans abroad, Americans are often chattier than Canadians. Americans love pop culture, and so do II think pop culture is way more exciting in the US than in Canada.

Persons: doesn't, Ryan Gosling, Matthew Perry, Karwai Tang, There's, I've, it's, Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins, — Organizations: Apple TV, Netflix, Farm, Foods, Costco, Aldi, Target, Nordstrom Locations: New York City, Toronto, Canada, Peacock, bodega

☆ Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, Nvidia, Apple, AMD, Home Depot, Western Digital & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Northland downgrades Advanced Micro Devices to market perform from outperform Northland downgraded the stock mainly on valuation. " Bernstein reiterates Apple as market perform Bernstein said it expects "not great" Apple earnings on February 1. William Blair downgrades Vita Coco to market perform from outperform William Blair said it's concerned about higher costs for the beverage company. Raymond James downgrades Comerica to market perform from outperform Raymond James said the earnings outlook looks too challenging for Comerica. "We are downgrading CMA shares from Outperform to Market Perform and reducing our 2024 EPS estimate to reflect its initial 2024 outlook."

Persons: Bernstein, Hunt, KeyBanc, Key, it's, Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, Lowe's, Goldman Sachs downgrades Archer, Daniels, Goldman, Vikram Luthar, William Blair downgrades Vita Coco, William Blair, Wolfe, NiSource, Tesla, Goldman Sachs, Stone, Evercore, Raymond James downgrades, Raymond James Organizations: Bernstein, Pacific, Norfolk, Union Pacific, NSC, UBS, Devices, Northland, AMD, Western, Home Depot, Apple, HSBC downgrades Lululemon, Daniels Midland, ADM, TAM, Airlines, Barclays, Netflix, JPMorgan, Xerox JPMorgan, Raymond James downgrades Comerica, Comerica, CMA Locations: Norfolk Southern, Northland, Brazil

☆ Washington state wants to block the Kroger-Albertsons merger
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Washington state is suing to block the proposed $25 billion merger between supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons, warning that if approved it could raise prices and harm consumers. In a suit filed Monday by the state’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson, his reasons for opposing the merger are because it would “severely limit” grocery store options for Washington residents and “eliminate vital competition” among the brands. “This merger is bad for Washington shoppers and workers,” Ferguson said. Kroger announced it was buying Albertsons in 2022 with the transaction expecting to close later this year, depending on regulatory approval. The companies say they will reach 85 million households.

Persons: Bob Ferguson, ” Ferguson, “, Kroger, ”, ” Kroger Organizations: New, New York CNN, Albertsons, Washington, “, Kroger Locations: New York, Washington

☆ Proposed Kroger, Albertsons merger will take more time to close as scrutiny continues
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Supermarket chain Kroger's proposed acquisition of rival Albertsons is now expected to close in the first half of Kroger's fiscal year 2024 instead of early this year. Kroger, Albertsons and C&S Wholesale Grocers said they are in "active and ongoing dialogue" with the Federal Trade Commission and individual state attorneys general, according to the joint statement. In a bid to close the proposed $24.6 billion deal, Kroger agreed in September to divest 413 stores and eight distribution centers to C&S for $1.9 billion. With regulatory approval, the merger may require C&S to purchase an additional 237 stores from Kroger and Albertsons, Kroger said last year. Washington state's attorney general filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the proposed merger, calling it "harmful" for shoppers and workers.

Persons: Rodney McMullen, Kroger, —, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez Organizations: Albertsons, Antitrust, Consumer, Capitol, S Wholesale Grocers, Federal Trade Commission, Kroger, Safeway, Acme, Washington, & $ Locations: Washington, Sens, Alexandria

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Monday sued to block the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons, two of the nation's largest grocery chains. Kroger and Albertsons have more than 300 locations in the state and account for more than half of its grocery sales, according to the suit. “This merger is bad for Washington shoppers and workers,” Ferguson said in a news release Monday. "Workers, shoppers and our communities need to prevent this proposed mega-merger from taking place,” Yasmin Ashur, a union member who works in an Albertsons grocery store, said in a union statement Monday. The grocery chains say they must merge to compete with Walmart, Amazon and other major companies that have stepped into the grocery business.

Persons: Bob Ferguson, Ferguson, ” Ferguson, ” Kroger, Fred Meyer, Kroger, ” Yasmin Ashur Organizations: SEATTLE, Kroger, Albertsons, King County Superior Court, Seattle Times, “, Safeway, Federal Trade Commission, United Food & Commercial Workers, The Seattle Times, Workers, S Wholesale Grocers, Walmart, Amazon Locations: Washington, King County, Cincinnati, Boise , Idaho, Oregon, Idaho

☆ What’s open and closed on MLK Day 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

However, the first national celebration of MLK Day didn’t take place until 1986 after years of advocacy. Here’s what’s open and closed on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2024. Bing Guan/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesMajor US retailers and grocers — such as Target, Walmart and Kroger — will be open on MLK Day. MLK Day is one of six free entrance days in 2024. FedEx will be open, though FedEx Express and FedEx Ground Economy will be operating on modified service.

Persons: Martin Luther King, Jr, John Conyers, King, Here’s, Bing Guan Organizations: New, New York CNN, MLK, Retail, Costco, Bloomberg, Getty, Major, Target, Walmart, Kroger, Sam’s, US National Parks, United States Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, FedEx Express, Nasdaq, New York Stock Exchange Locations: New York, New Hampshire

☆ Australia's Greens to investigate supermarket 'price gouging'
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People walk past a Woolworths supermarket following the easing of restrictions implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sydney, Australia, June 16, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Australia's Greens party said on Sunday it would lead a parliamentary inquiry into "price gouging" by major supermarkets as the country grapples with high costs of living. "It will also assess the rise in essential item prices, the validity of discounts offered, and the inflation of profits during economic hardship," added McKim, accusing supermarkets of "price gouging" during "Australia's cost of living crisis". "Construction costs, energy prices, the cost of logistics and packaging have all risen", the spokesperson said. A Woolworths spokesperson said the company was "working to deliver relief" on grocery bills.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Nick McKim, McKim, Competition Andrew Leigh, Leigh, Sam McKeith, Lincoln Organizations: Woolworths, REUTERS, Rights, Australia's Greens, Greens, Coles, Competition, Labor, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

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