Kroger and Albertsons released their list of hundreds of grocery stores they plan to sell as part of a deal that would see the supermarket giants merge.
The Montrose Safeway is one of those hundreds of stores that would be divested to C&S Wholesale Grocers, if regulators approve the $24.6 billion merger.
There are 579 stores total named in the list. It has been months since Kroger and Albertsons increased the number of stores they said they would sell by 166, in an attempt to appease regulators who looked to block their merger. Kroger has begun to tell workers at the 579 stores that they will become employees of C&S, which owns brands Piggly Wiggly and Grand Union Supermarkets.
The merger was originally announced in 2022, but since then the FTC has sued to block the deal. Several attorneys general, including Colorado AG Phil Weiser also sued to block the merger.
Kroger and Albertsons plan to divest stores in Washington (124), Arizona (101), Colorado (91), California (63), Oregon (62), Illinois (35), Texas (28), Nevada (16), and Alaska (18).
Three Grand Junction Safeway stores and the Delta Safeway are also included in those numbers.
Kroger said in a statement the divestiture would mean the stores listed would not close, when there was some question as to their future if Kroger and Albertsons were to merge with no divestiture plan. As it stands now, if the merger were to be completed, the named stores would change ownership to C&S.
“C&S committed to ensuring zero stores will close as a result of the merger, all frontline associates will remain employed, all existing collective bargaining agreements will continue, and associates will continue to receive industry-leading benefits alongside bargained-for wages,” the statement from Kroger reads. “C&S’s strong operational focus coupled with its experienced management team and financial resources will position it to successfully operate divested stores for years to come. Importantly, we are committed to working closely with C&S to ensure a seamless transition of ownership for all divested stores and supporting operational infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, a number of United Food and Commercial Workers unions released a joint statement that they would continue to support the FTC blocking the merger.
“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. These legal challenges to the proposed merger are moving forward with hearings beginning at the end of July and scheduled to go through September.”
Not all Montrose employees are part of a union.
List of Colorado stores planned for divestiture:
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 Springs
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
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