DENVER — Approximately 91 Colorado grocery stores would be sold or transferred under the Kroger and Albertsons proposed merger, the companies announced this week.
The list includes 89 Safeway stores and two Albertsons locations which would be divested to C&S Wholesale Grocers as Kroger and Albertsons look to ease state and federal government concerns over the merger attempt first announced in 2022.
Before the list of stores was announced, Kroger said in April that C&S would operate the Colorado locations under the Safeway brand if its $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons was approved.
As part of its initial divestiture plan, Kroger first announced in September 2023 that C&S would buy 413 stores only to increase that number to 579 stores earlier this year.
“The amended divestiture package responds to concerns raised by federal and state antitrust regulators regarding the original agreement,” said Kroger in a statement. “The enhanced divestiture package includes a modified and expanded store set and additional non-store assets to further enable C&S to operate competitively following the completion of the proposed merger.”
The companies have maintained no stores would be closed and frontline associates would lose their jobs.
Local
Colorado attorney general announces lawsuit to block Kroger, Albertsons merger
The United Food & Commercial Workers Unions maintains the proposed merger would hurt workers and competition.
“We remain focused on stopping the proposed mega-merger for the same reasons we have stated since it was first announced over 20 months ago -- because we know it would harm workers, it would harm shoppers, it would harm suppliers and communities, and it is illegal,” said UFCW. “The merger proposal was rejected in January and February by the Attorneys General from the states of Colorado and Washington and the Federal Trade Commission. We applaud their actions. They have been in possession of this proposed divestiture list, made public today by the companies, for months and that did not change their opposition to the proposed merger.”
It has remained unclear if the revised plan would satisfy regulators. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission in February sued to block the $24.6 billion merger between the grocery giants, saying the lack of competition would lead to higher grocery prices and lower wages for workers.
Kroger’s attempt to merge with Albertsons Companies Inc., also hit a snag in Colorado in February when Attorney General Phil Weiser announced a lawsuit to block the supermarket chains from combining.
Weiser said themerger of the parent companies of King Soopers/City Market and Safeway would kill competition and hurt consumers.
“Coloradans are concerned about undue consolidation and its harmful impacts on consumers, workers, and suppliers,” said Weiser in a news release. “After 19 town halls across the state, I am convinced that Coloradans think this merger between the two supermarket chains would lead to stores closing, higher prices, fewer jobs, worse customer service, and less resilient supply chains.”
A total of eight states have challenged the merger. Two distribution centers and a plant in Denver would also be impacted.
Here's the full list of 91 Colorado grocery stores that would be divested:
- Safeway — 1301 Main St, Alamosa
- Safeway — 7561 W 80th Ave, Arvada
- Safeway — 12200 E Mississippi Ave, Aurora
- Safeway — 18730 E Hampden Ave, Aurora
- Safeway — 1677 S Havana St, Aurora
- Safeway — 1200 S Buckley Rd, Aurora
- Safeway — 6100 S Gun Club Rd, Aurora
- Safeway — 3325 28th St, Boulder
- Safeway — 2798 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder
- Safeway — 4800 E Baseline Rd, Boulder
- Safeway — 1605 Bridge St, Brighton
- Safeway — 3602 W 144th Ave, Broomfield
- Safeway — 1414 Main St, Canon City
- Safeway — 880 S Perry St, Castle Rock
- Safeway — 7375 Arapahoe Rd, Centennial
- Safeway — 3275 W Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs
- Safeway — 2890 N Powers Blvd, Colorado Springs
- Safeway — 6520 S Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs
- Safeway — 1425 S Murray Blvd, Colorado Springs
- Safeway — 1920 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs
- Safeway — 840 Village Center Dr, Colorado Springs
- Safeway — 7055 Austin Bluffs Pkwy, Colorado Springs
- Safeway — 2210 Wahsatch, Colorado Springs
- Safeway — 5060 N Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs
- Safeway — 8750 N Union Blvd, Colorado Springs
- Safeway — 4405 Centennial Blvd, Colorado Springs
- Safeway — 27152 Main St, Conifer
- Safeway — 1580 E Main St, Cortez
- Safeway — 1550 Hwy 92, Delta
- Safeway — 1653 S Colorado Blvd, Denver
- Safeway — 2660 N Federal Blvd, Denver
- Safeway — 6440 E Yale Ave, Denver
- Safeway — 2150 S Downing St, Denver
- Safeway — 560 Corona St, Denver
- Safeway — 757 E 20th Ave, Denver
- Safeway — 3800 W 44th Ave, Denver
- Safeway — 6220 E 14th Ave, Denver
- Safeway — 9160 W Colfax Ave, Denver
- Safeway — 200 Quebec St Bldg 400, Denver
- Safeway — 323 S Broadway, Denver
- Safeway — 10300 Federal Blvd, Denver
- Safeway — 771 Thornton Pkwy, Denver
- Safeway — 500 E 120th Ave, Denver
- Albertsons — 311 W College Dr, Durango
- Safeway — 220 S Elizabeth St, Elizabeth
- Safeway — 201 E Jefferson, Englewood
- Safeway — 3333 Arapahoe Rd B, Erie
- Safeway — 3851 Hwy 74 S, Evergreen
- Safeway — 8134 Colorado Blvd, Firestone
- Safeway — 1426 E Harmony Rd, Fort Collins
- Safeway — 2160 W Drake Rd Unit 6, Fort Collins
- Safeway — 3660 S Mason St, Fort Collins
- Safeway — 731 S Lemay Ave, Fort Collins
- Safeway — 1300 Dexter St, Fort Lupton
- Safeway — 40 County Rd 804, Fraser
- Safeway — 1008 N Summit Blvd, Frisco
- Safeway — 1701 Jackson St, Golden
- Safeway — 2901 F Rd, Grand Junction
- Safeway — 681 Horizon Dr, Grand Junction
- Safeway — 2512 Broadway, Grand Junction
- Safeway — 4548 Centerplace Dr, Greeley
- Safeway — 3526 W 10th St, Greeley
- Safeway — 112 S Spruce St, Gunnison
- Safeway — 9255 S Broadway, Highlands Ranch
- Safeway — 2425 Miner St, Idaho Spring
- Safeway — 11088 W Jewell, Lakewood
- Safeway — 13111 W Alameda Pkwy, Lakewood
- Safeway — 12442 W Ken Caryl Ave, Littleton
- Safeway — 5025 S Kipling Pkwy, Littleton
- Safeway — 8355 N Rampart Range Rd, Littleton
- Safeway — 181 W Mineral Ave, Littleton
- Safeway — 8434 S Kipling Pkwy, Littleton
- Safeway — 9229 E Lincoln Ave, Lone Tree
- Safeway — 1050 Ken Pratt Blvd, Longmont
- Safeway — 1632 Hover St, Longmont
- Safeway — 1601 Coalton Rd, Louisville
- Safeway — 910 W Cherry St, Louisville
- Safeway — 860 Cleveland Ave, Loveland
- Safeway — 1451 W Eisenhower Blvd, Loveland
- Safeway — 2321 W Eisenhower Blvd, Loveland
- Safeway — 1329 S Townsend Ave, Montrose
- Safeway — 624 Hwy 105, Monument 5
- Safeway — 11051 S Parker Rd, Parker
- Albertsons — 1601 Hwy 50 W, Pueblo
- Safeway — 1231 S Prairie Ave, Pueblo
- Safeway — 37500 E US Hwy 40, Steamboat Springs
- Safeway — 3840 E 104th Ave, Thornton
- Safeway — 2131 N Frontage Rd W, Vail
- Safeway — 3900 Wadsworth Blvd, Wheat Ridge
- Safeway — 1535 Main St, Windsor
- Safeway — 1101 E US Hwy 24, Woodland Park
- Plant: Denver Dairy Plant — 4301 Forest St, Denver
- Distribution Center: Denver Freezer / Variety Bldg Only - 4350 Dahlia St, Denver
- Distribution Center: 4600 E Stapleton Dr S, Denver
