American families are heading into the end-of-year holidays facing sticker shock in the grocery aisles. Prices have jumped 13% over the past year, with even larger increases for staples like eggs, chicken and pork. Although inflation decreased slightly in October, it remains a top concern in public opinion polls for a reason: High prices are hurting people, and they need help.
Meanwhile, second- and fourth-largest grocers in the country have hatched a plan that would actually make things worse for consumers. Kroger and Albertsons — which together already own chains like Ralphs, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Safeway, Acme, Pick ‘N Save and Vons — announced plans to merge, potentially creating an industry behemoth second only to Walmart.
We know the pattern well: Big companies keep getting bigger, their competitors disappear and prices keep going up. Recent research from Food & Water Watch found that in 2019, just four companies took in nearly 70% of all grocery sales in the country. And while the power and profit of the grocery giants has grown, the number of stores has shrunk by roughly 30% between 1994 and 2019. This has hit some communities very hard; according to the Department of Agriculture, 17% of Americans now live in low-income areas with reduced food access.
