US Courts Block Kroger's $25 Bn Supermarket Mega-merger

Kroger, the supermarket giant which owns Food 4 Less among other grocery brands, was blocked by a US judge in its proposed merger with rival chain Albertsons (Credit: AFP)

Two US courts ruled against supermarket giant Kroger's planned $24.6 billion acquisition of rival chain Albertsons on Tuesday, dealing an existential threat to the merger in a win for the Federal Trade Commission, which had argued the deal would harm consumers.

The first order implemented a temporary block after a three-week federal trial in Portland, Oregon, a significant blow to what would have been one of the largest retail grocery deals in US history.