Neither the Powell nor the Cody Albertsons stores would be sold as part of a planned divestiture related to the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger, the companies announced last week.

If the merger goes through, the companies would sell five Albertsons stores in Wyoming — in Casper, Cheyenne, Gillette, Jackson and Rock Springs — to C&S Wholesale Grocers in an effort to avoid antitrust concerns. The companies plan to sell 579 stores nationwide in response to the Federal Trade Commission suing to block the merger due to fears of the new company being too large. Wyoming and nine other states have joined the lawsuit.

In announcing the federal litigation in February, the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, Henry Liu, said the “mega merger comes as American consumers have seen the cost of groceries rise steadily over the past few years.

“Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons would lead to additional grocery price hikes for everyday goods, further exacerbating the financial strain consumers across the country face today,” Liu said. “Essential grocery store workers would also suffer under this deal, facing the threat of their wages dwindling, benefits diminishing, and their working conditions deteriorating.”

In an April news release, Kroger and Albertsons countered that their proposed merger “will produce meaningful and measurable benefits for customers, associates and communities across the country.”

The companies specifically pointed to their updated and expanded divestiture plan.

“The combined company committed that no stores, distribution centers or manufacturing facilities will close as a result of the merger, including those divested to C&S Wholesale Grocers,” Kroger and Albertsons officials said.

The Powell Albertsons opened in early 2023 at the site of the former Shopko.

—By Zac Taylor