We, the undersigned Alaskans, oppose the merger of Fred Meyers and Carrs-Safeway parent companies.

If two grocery mega-chains, Kroger and Albertsons are allowed to merge, Alakans could face significantly higher prices for groceries. Kroger, which owns Fred Meyers, has proposed an acquisition of Albertsons, which owns Carrs-Safeway. This merger would harm Alaskan consumers and workers in particular by drastically reducing competition in the local grocery industry. In our urban hubs, Carrs-Safeway and Fred Meyers are two of the only options to shop for food, in a state which already has an isolated food market. 

Throughout the pandemic and its economic aftermath, Kroger and Albertsons reported record profits and richly rewarded their shareholders and executives with bonuses and stock buybacks, even as both companies took steps to prevent workers from receiving hazard pay and boasted about their abilities to raise prices. And in parallel throughout the pandemic, we've seen how the consolidation of businesses has led to a less resilient supply chain, creating greater likelihood of unstable food supply conditions in Alaska. This would only increase with the merger of US's two grocery giants.

We can stop this detrimental  plan. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has the authority to block the merger. We urge the FTC to use their authority to protect Alaskan consumers and workers.

Moreover, we ask Senator Murkowski, Senator Sullivan and Representative Peltola to stand up for everday Alaskans, and join us in calling on the FTC to enforce our anti-trust laws by blocking this proposed merger.