Kroger, Albertsons merger temporarily blocked

The Kroger, Albertsons merger was postponed on Thursday by a Colorado judge, who granted a preliminary injunction for a hearing in August.

The proposed $24.6 billion merger has been challenged in Colorado by the state attorney general. That’s in addition to a multi-state lawsuit led by the FTC and a separate lawsuit in Washington state.

Judge Andrew J. Luxen approved the preliminary injunction, which delays a hearing in Colorado scheduled for Aug. 12, according to a story in the Denver Gazette. That two-week hearing, which will be heard by Luxen, was moved to Sept. 30. 

“Defendants shall take any and all necessary steps to prevent any of their officers, directors, domestic or foreign agents, divisions, subsidiaries, affiliates, partnerships, or joint ventures from consummating, directly or indirectly, any such transaction,” the court ruling said, according to the Denver Gazette.

Kroger and Albertsons could not immediately be reached for comment. 

This is a developing story and will be updated throughout the day. 

Source: supermarketnews.com

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