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☆ Kroger, Albertsons and the New Antitrust Playbook - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“The proposed acquisition is by far the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history,” one that would unite “the No. 2 traditional supermarket chains in the United States,” it says in its complaint. is correct on the numbers, but the key word is “traditional.” Traditional supermarket chains no longer dominate the grocery business. Kroger is a distant second to Walmart, with a 10 percent market share, and Albertsons is fourth (behind Costco Wholesale), with 6 percent. So even if Kroger and Albertsons merged, they would be only a little more than half of Walmart’s size.

Organizations: Kroger Co, Albertsons Companies Inc, titans, Federal Trade Commission, Albertsons, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Solomon Partners, Kroger, Costco Wholesale Locations: United States

☆ L.A. poultry firm hired kids as young as 14 to work with sharp knives, Labor Dept. says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Laura Strickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The Exclusive Poultry and owner Tony Bran willfully withheld workers' hard-earned wages, endangered young workers and retaliated against employees to conceal their wrongdoing," said Jessica Looman, administrator of the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division. Labor investigators repeatedly went to the company's poultry processing locations and said in affidavits they saw young workers they estimated were 14 to 17 years of age, but the workers refused to talk and would run from them. The Labor Department told NBC News it subsequently confirmed that some of the workers were as young as 14. Workers allegedly told investigators that minors who worked at the company were hidden in closets and bathrooms when the investigators arrived so they would not be found. In fall 2022, the department found more than 100 children, some as young as 13, cleaning slaughterhouses for a Midwestern firm.

Persons: Tony Bran, Jessica Looman, Anthony McClaren, McClaren, Bran, Biden Organizations: Labor Department, Aldi, Ralphs, Kroger, Labor, NBC, NBC News, Department of Labor, Workers Locations: Los Angeles

The number of prescription opioid pills shipped in the U.S. in the second half of the 2010s decreased sharply even as a nationwide overdose crisis continued to deepen, according to data released Tuesday. But Mougey pointed out that as prescription drug shipments decreased, illicit opioids — particularly heroin and illegally produced versions of fentanyl — increased. During that time, prescription drugs were the opioids linked to the most deaths in the U.S. The newly released data is the first deep look at what happened with prescription drug shipments later in the 2010s. By the early 2010s, policymakers and doctors were restricting access to prescription opioids.

Persons: ” Peter Mougey, Mougey, Dan Polster, Sackler, Polster, ” Polster Organizations: U.S . Drug, Administration, System, U.S, District, Washington Post, HD Media, Purdue Pharma, Kroger Locations: U.S, ARCOS, Appalachia, Cleveland, West Virginia

☆ Kroger will pay up to $1.2 billion to settle most nationwide opioid claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this photo illustration, the Kroger Company logo is displayed on a smartphone screen. Kroger on Friday said it has agreed to pay $1.2 billion to U.S. states, subdivisions and Native American tribes to settle the majority claims that it fueled the opioid epidemic through lax oversight of its pill sales. That settlement would allow for "full resolution" of all claims on behalf of those parties, Kroger said in a release ahead of its second-quarter earnings. Still, the company said the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or liability. "Kroger will continue to vigorously defend against any other claims and lawsuits relating to opioids that the final agreement does not resolve," the company said in the releaseThis is breaking news.

Persons: Kroger Organizations: Kroger Locations: U.S

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Kroger, DocuSign, Planet Labs, First Solar and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Kroger earned an adjusted 96 cents per share, beating an LSEG estimate of 91 cents per share. Planet Labs lost an adjusted 14 cents per share on revenue of $53.8 million. Analysts polled by LSEG expected a loss of 8 cents per share on revenue of $54.1 million. DocuSign reported an adjusted 72 cents per share and $688 million in revenue, while analysts polled by LSEG forecast an adjusted 66 cents and $678 million, respectively. First Solar — Shares of the solar panel maker gained 1.4% after Deutsche Bank upgraded the First Solar to buy from hold, citing the company's strong ongoing demand.

Persons: Victor Coleman, Kroger, LSEG, DocuSign, Davidson, Gary Friedman, Gilead, — CNBC's Pia Singh Organizations: Kroger Co, Albertsons Cos Inc, New York Stock Exchange, Hudson Pacific Properties, Hollywood, Avid, Labs, Planet Labs, LSEG, Deutsche Bank, Gilead Sciences, Bank of America Locations: New York City, California

One of the nation's largest grocery chains is the latest company to agree to settle lawsuits over the U.S. opioid crisis. In a deal announced Friday, the Kroger Co. would pay up to $1.4 billion over 11 years. Kroger currently has stores in 35 states — virtually everywhere save the Northeast, the northern plains and Hawaii. Over the past eight years, prescription drug manufacturers, wholesalers, consultants and pharmacies have proposed or finalized opioid settlements totaling more than $50 billion, including at least 12 others worth more than $1 billion. “Kroger has long served as a leader in combatting opioid abuse and remains committed to patient safety,” the company said.

Persons: Kroger, —, Jayne Conroy, ”, overprescribing, Conroy, “ Kroger, OptumRx Organizations: Kroger, U.S, Supreme, Purdue Pharma, Associated Press, Albertsons, Pharmacy Locations: Hawaii, New Mexico, West Virginia, U.S

All fuel centers and pharmacies associated with the divested stores will remain with the stores and continue to operate. Kroger, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, bid $20 billion for Albertsons. C&S, which was founded in 1918, is a supplier to independent grocery stores, supplying more than 7,500 independent supermarkets, retail chain stores and military bases. It currently runs Grand Union grocery stores and Piggly Wiggly franchise and corporate-owned stores in the Midwest and Carolinas. Shares of Kroger Co., based in Ohio, rose 5% Thursday and Albertsons Cos., based in Idaho, rose 3%.

Persons: Debi Lilly Design, Primo Taglio, Kroger, ” Kroger, Rodney McMullen Organizations: Kroger, Albertsons, S Wholesale Grocers, Waterfront Bistro, Walmart, Amazon, Aldi, Winn, Dixie, Federal Trade Commission, Union, Kroger Co, Albertsons Cos Locations: Cincinnati , Ohio, Midwest, Carolinas, Ohio, Idaho

The deal would give privately held C&S, primarily a supplier rather than an operator of grocery stores, a much more significant footprint. The stores that Kroger and Albertsons plan to shed are primarily in the Pacific Northwest and the Mountain states, along with some in California, Texas, Illinois, and the East Coast, the sources said. Bloomberg News reported about the talks between C&S, Kroger and Albertsons on Monday, as well as SoftBank's involvement but gave no information about the deal terms. Previously, Kroger and Albertsons said they may divest between 100 and 375 stores by placing them in a new company that Albertsons shareholders would own. In a regulatory filing Kroger said the upper limit for divestitures was 650 stores.

Persons: Rick Cohen, Cohen, SoftBank, Kroger, Ahold, Anirban Sen, Abigail Summerville, Juby Babu, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Rashmi Aich, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Kroger, Albertsons Cos Inc, S Wholesale Grocers, Grand Union, Piggly, SoftBank Group Corp, Symbotic Inc, Albertsons, Bloomberg News, Thomson, & $ Locations: Pacific Northwest, California , Texas , Illinois, East Coast, New York, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Officials from seven U.S. states wrote to U.S. antitrust enforcers on Wednesday to ask for Kroger's (KR.N) proposed $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons (ACI.N) to be stopped. In a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan, the secretaries of state said that the deal would give a combined Kroger/Albertsons nearly a quarter of the U.S. food retail market. Large, non-unionized competitors such as Walmart and Amazon would be the only parties to benefit if it were blocked, the spokesperson said. While federal antitrust agencies often work with state attorneys general on merger reviews, they do not usually work with secretaries of state, who in many states have a more limited business-oversight role. Reporting by Diane Bartz and Jasper Ward; editing by Susan Heavey, Sharon Singleton and Andy SullivanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Lina Khan, Diane Bartz, Jasper Ward, Susan Heavey, Sharon Singleton, Andy Sullivan Organizations: Kroger Co, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, Albertsons, Federal Trade Commission, Kroger, Walmart, Amazon, FTC, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Colorado , Arizona , Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Vermont

REUTERS/Patrick T. Fallon/File PhotoAug 7 (Reuters) - Beyond Meat (BYND.O) cut annual revenue forecast and missed second-quarter net sales estimates, as slowing demand for its pricier plant-based meat products shows no signs of recovery, sending shares down 8% in extended trading on Monday. Bogged down by inflationary pressures, customers are opting for lower-priced animal protein over alternatives such as plant-based products. The ambiguity around the health benefits of plant-based meat is also weighing on growth, said CEO Ethan Brown in a post-earnings call. The company forecast 2023 revenue between $360 million and $380 million, compared with its prior expectation of $375 million to $415 million. Beyond Meat's quarterly net revenue fell nearly 31% to $102.1 million, missing analysts' average estimate of $108.4 million, according to Refinitiv data.

Persons: Patrick T, Ethan Brown, Arun Sundaram, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Kroger, REUTERS, CFRA, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Bengaluru

Data showed U.S. retail sales unexpectedly rose in May as consumers spent on a range of goods including vehicles. All 11 S&P 500 sector indexes rose, led by health care (.SPXHC), up 1.55%, followed by a 1.54% gain in communication services (.SPLRCL). The S&P 500 climbed 1.22% to end the session at 4,425.84 points. Advancing issues outnumbered falling ones within the S&P 500 (.AD.SPX) by a 7.1-to-one ratio. The S&P 500 posted 48 new highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 80 new highs and 72 new lows.

Persons: TD Cowen, Ross Mayfield, Baird, who'd, David Russell, Kroger, Shristi Achar, Sruthi Shankar, Noel Randewich, Vinay Dwivedi, Shounak Dasgupta, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Nasdaq, Dow, U.S . Federal, Treasury, Apple, Microsoft, Fed, U.S, Market Intelligence, Dow Jones, Kohl's Corp, Alibaba, People's Bank of China, Thomson Locations: China, Bengaluru, Oakland, Calif

Shares of the retailer, which had consistently raised its outlook over the past two years, fell 4.5% to $45.07 after the dull forecast. Last month, rival Walmart raised its annual forecasts as more Americans shopped for its lower-priced groceries and other essentials. However, Kroger's gross margins rose 21 basis points, compared to a fall a year earlier, benefiting from lower supply chain costs as well as its efforts to source some products closer to its distribution centers. It also profited from shoppers - including higher-income consumers looking for more economical options amid persistent inflation - preferring its store-label brands to pricier national brands. Reporting by Granth Vanaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joseph Feldman, Kroger, Rodney McMullen, Kroger's McMullen, Arun Sundaram, Granth, Shinjini Organizations: Kroger, Investors, Walmart, Albertsons, CFRA, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

[1/3] Packaged food for sale is seen on shelves at a Dollar Tree in Islandia, New York, U.S., May 12, 2023. Razor manufacturer Edgewell Personal Care Co (EPC.N) and Kraft Heinz Co (KHC.O) have overhauled or built new teams dedicated to working with the biggest U.S. dollar stores like Dollar Tree Inc (DLTR.O) and Dollar General Corp (DG.N) in the last year. Makers of food and household staples are pushing deeper into dollar stores because the low-cost retailers are opening thousands of locations each year. Griffin added that dollar stores are also introducing more "premium" private label brands, like Dollar General's Nature's Menu for pets. Kraft-Heinz also created a new team of five people late last year to identify and develop products for dollar stores, a spokesman said.

Lawyers for Kroger said in a filing in California federal court that the grocery store shoppers who sued over the deal have failed to define the relevant market necessary to evaluate grocery store competition and to identify how the acquisition would hurt consumers. The attorneys said the lawsuit was lacking "real-world facts." U.S. competition law "does not turn every grocery store consumer in the country into a roving antitrust enforcer," lawyers for Kroger told U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria. State antitrust enforcers also are looking at the deal. The case is Whalen v The Kroger Co, Albertsons Companies Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.

☆ Self-driving startup Gatik to double workforce, strikes Kroger deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Abhirup Roy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SAN FRANCISCO, March 15 (Reuters) - Self-driving trucking startup Gatik will double its workforce by year end, a top executive said, after it announced a deal on Wednesday with grocer Kroger Co (KR.N) to transport goods within its Dallas, Texas network. Gatik, which operates traditional mid-sized trucks fitted with its autonomous technology, aimed to expand to 15 new U.S. states over five years, CEO Gautam Narang told Reuters. Many investors in the self-driving industry have grown sceptical as complicated technology and tough safety regulations have delayed large-scale commercialization. Autonomous truck company Embark Technology (EMBK.O) said this month it would lay off 70% of its employees and start evaluating options, including winding down the business. Microsoft (MSFT.O)plans to invest more than $10 million in Gatik at a valuation above $700 million, sources told Reuters in January.

☆ Costco Gets a Boost as Impact of Last-In, First-Out Accounting Fades
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Costco is seeing a slight decline in inflation, according to the retailer’s finance chief. With inflation stuck at high levels, some U.S. companies’ use of an accounting method that lowers their federal tax bill has increased costs and hit earnings. But for retail giant Costco Wholesale Corp., it is a different story. Companies including wholesale specialty foods distributor United Natural Foods Inc. and grocery chain Kroger Co. have recently announced last-in, first-out accounting—also known as LIFO—charges. Costco, meanwhile, had no LIFO charge for the quarter ended Feb. 12, compared with a $71 million charge a year earlier as the company sees some inflationary relief, said Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti .

☆ Albertsons, Kroger reiterate store divestiture plan ahead of merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 14 (Reuters) - Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N) reiterated in a filing on Tuesday it would divest some stores owned by the company and Kroger Co (KR.N) to obtain the regulatory clearance needed to go ahead with the merger of the two firms. Last month, Reuters reported citing sources that the supermarket operators were advancing plans to sell between 250 and 300 stores, which they hope would alleviate U.S. antitrust concerns over their combination. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is reviewing Kroger's proposed $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons, is under pressure from some U.S. lawmakers and consumer advocacy groups to block the deal on concerns it may lead to higher grocery prices. Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Albertsons, Kroger to divest some stores ahead of merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 14 (Reuters) - Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N) said on Tuesday it would divest some stores owned by the company and Kroger Co (KR.N) to obtain the regulatory clearance needed to go ahead with the merger of the two firms. Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kroger sees annual profit above estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 2 (Reuters) - Kroger Co (KR.N) forecast annual profit above Wall Street estimates on Thursday, as the supermarket chain benefits from higher prices, easing cost pressures and steady demand for its groceries and other essentials. Shares of Kroger, which has inked a $25 billion deal to buy smaller rival Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N), climbed about 3% in premarket trading. Kroger forecast adjusted earnings per share of between $4.45 and $4.60 for fiscal 2023, while analysts on average expected a profit of $4.20 per share, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Still, the company projected same-store sales growth, excluding fuel, of 1% to 2% in fiscal 2023, below analysts' estimate of a 2.23% increase. Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: To raise prices or not? Consumer goods makers weigh bets on buyer strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Jessica Dinapoli | Thomson Reuters | New York-Based Reporter Covering U.S. Consumer Products Spanning Paper Towels To Packaged Food | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But, there are small signs the pressure is easing, with U.S. consumer prices a month earlier declining for the first time in two-and-a-half years, due in part to gas prices. Price hikes - or halts - are set to take center stage at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York annual conference on Feb. 20 in Boca Raton, Florida. DIFFERENT PREDICTIONSAfter more than a year of consistent price hikes, some consumer goods makers such as Kraft Mac & Cheese manufacturer Kraft Heinz Co (KHC.O) are pressing pause as they weigh consumer demand for their items. Frozen pizza prices have risen about 14% in the last year, according to IRI data. "Retailers cannot truly push back on prices … if the company has an important brand," Bernstein analyst Bruno Monteyne said.

☆ Food Companies to Ex-Employees: Come Back, Please
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Jesse Newman | Jaewon Kang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kroger has been reaching out to some ex-employees via text and email, helping lift the company’s staffing to near its prepandemic level. The U.S. food industry is tapping a new pool of workers to staff plants and grocery warehouses: their former employees. Kroger Co., the biggest U.S. supermarket operator by sales, is staying in touch with ex-employees and bringing some back. Cereal maker General Mills Inc. has persuaded some retirees to return to plant jobs, and other food-company recruiters have combed social media for former workers who might be open to coming back.

☆ Companies Are Slow to Adopt Robot-Operated ‘Dark’ Warehouses
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Liz Young | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

More companies are exploring ways to staff warehouses with robots but may have to wait a few years for the technology to catch up. It makes the automation much easier to justify,” said Sean Wallingford, president and chief executive of the Americas region for warehouse technology company Swisslog Holding AG. A robotic arm picks and packs orders at online pharmacy company Apo.com’s automated warehouse in the Netherlands. Photo: RIGHTHAND ROBOTICSAbout 20% of warehouses in 2022 used some form of robotics, up from 15% in 2018, according to research firm Interact Analysis. Mr. Jensen said the company made changes after the first fire in 2019, limiting damage from later fires.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoFeb 16 (Reuters) - Walmart Inc's (WMT.N) results on Tuesday will provide Wall Street with new details on what items American shoppers are buying as rising grocery prices squeeze their wallets. In December, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said "we do not like" that some suppliers were hinting at raising prices further in 2023. He warned that Walmart would allocate space to private and tertiary brands if prices got too high. KitKat maker Nestle on Thursday said further price hikes were necessary to offset commodity costs. Still, Wall Street expects Walmart sales and revenue to rise in 2023 as its shipping and logistics costs moderate, even as labor expenses go up.

☆ Uber and Lyft Claim Big Gains for Their Ad Businesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Ride-hailing companies Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. each say their nascent advertising businesses have grown significantly in recent months. PREVIEWThe ride-hailing rivals’ ad businesses are also important for the companies’ growth. Uber said increased ad revenue in the latest quarter was a key growth driver for its overall business. Lyft ad revenue increased “nearly seven times” in the fourth quarter compared with the previous quarter, according to Mr. Greenberger. But the companies’ ad prices offer a glimpse at their respective positions in the market.

The stores that Kroger and Albertsons may sell could be worth more than $1 billion, the sources said. Kroger and Albertsons will choose to proceed with the spin-off if they are unable to strike a deal with a potential buyer. Kroger, Albertsons and the FTC declined to comment. Haggen filed for bankruptcy months later and blamed the deal with Albertsons for its demise. Albertsons then agreed to buy many of the Haggen stores back for $300 million.

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