Kroger promises to lower grocery prices by $1 billion after artificially inflating them by $3 billion.

Blackmail

Why would anyone trust them right after the price gouging during the pandemic and long after logistics had adapted?

Fuckin lies.... No for profit business ever said hey let's spend a bunch of money to buy another business to make less money.

They aren't even saying that.

After the merger closes, Kroger will invest $1 billion to lower Albertsons’ prices, consistent with Kroger’s track record of fighting inflation and providing value to customers.

So, they're going to invest $1 billion to lower prices (which the writer speculates will be through "increasing efficiencies and improving its supply chain").

"You should let us reduce competition in the grocery space, because with less competition prices will be lower."

That's a bold take.

You didn't lower prices when you put in self checkout. Don't piss on me and call it rain.

This is where we're at now, corporations are issuing demands to the government, and the government is appeasing them.

Those blackmailing fucks can go to hell

No that sounds an awful lot like extortion. That's a crime you know.

Do it right now then.

'improving their services'

=

extracting more value from their consumers

Force them to break up into all their constituent companies.

Competition and the free market, also free of M&A's, will help pricing for everyone, including suppliers and customers.

Be great if we could elect anti-merger reps.

First they added self checkout to reduce headcount, then came the price fixing/gouging. Then their shrink increased because people got tired of being fucked by Kroger. Then they had that shady deal with the UFCW. Then they decided to treat everyone that shops there like a criminal.

I'll never return.

Darth Kroger after the merger: "I have altered the plan, pray I do not alter it further"

They have a concept of a plan to lower the prices.

Someday, maybe soon, you won't have a choice but to shop at a Kroger grocery.

“Sure, Jan.”

And then immediately raise them 5x a week later

Ok. But your tax base is tripled and we set price ceilings on certain goods.

I’m glad I have other options where I live.

Yes. If there's one thing that all corporations want, it's to MAKE LESS MONEY.

That's why they want to reduce competition. It's so people can give them less money.

Now, some people might suggest that this sort of selfless generosity might go against their fiduciary obligation to increade stockholder value. But those people would be wrong because of course they're only doing this to eliminate competition and gouge customers, you bunch of gullible idiots.

*terms and conditions apply. This offer is subject to change after one year of operation

I thought "bidenomics" inflation dictated prices?? /s

?????

So it really is corporate greed then

(I know it's corporate greed, but I wanted to counter all the naysayers that say the price of groceries is strictly because of inflation)...

Plans change

Yeah sure they will.

If they take them over and can't fix Albertsons ( supply chain inefficiency is what I've been told), then the whole organization is gonna go under within a few years.

That almost sounds like a good thing, but I know that it wouldn't be .