COLORADO, USA — The proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons is on hold until a trial challenging the merger is held later this year.
In February, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a lawsuit in Denver District Court to block the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger.
Weiser said the merger would violate head-to-head competition between the two grocery chains, consolidating an already heavily concentrated market. The trial for the case is set to begin on Sept. 30 and Wesier's office said the companies agreed to halt the merger until it's done.
RELATED: Kroger, Albertsons — still hoping to merge — agree to sell more stores to satisfy regulators
“I am pleased that Kroger and Albertsons agreed to halt their plans to merge until the court rules on the state’s lawsuit to permanently block the grocery merger," Weiser said in a statement.
"This is great news for shoppers, workers, farmers, and other suppliers, who can rest assured that this mega-merger will not go into effect during harvest season and while kids are headed back to school. The trial is set to begin on September 30 and my office looks forward to making the case that this merger will eliminate competition and impact food prices, jobs, and consumer choice.”
The state had filed a motion for a preliminary injunction the same day they filed the lawsuit to prevent the merger until a final judgment. On Thursday the defendants agreed to a temporary injunction to "conserve judicial and party resources."