Kroger-Albertsons $25B merger hurts shoppers, FTC says as trial kicks off

The Federal Trade Commission kicked off a trial on Monday in its bid to block Kroger’s $25 billion merger with Albertsons, telling a federal judge in Portland, Ore., that the deal would eliminate competition between the top grocery store chains and hit consumers’ wallets.The FTC and several states sued to block the deal in February, saying the merger would mean higher prices for consumers and less bargaining power for unionized grocery workers.FTC Chief Trial Counsel Susan Musser urged US District Judge Adr ...