Attorney General Kris Mayes has joined a lawsuit that aims to block the proposed merger of the Kroger and Albertsons supermarket chains.
She and attorneys general from California, Nevada, Wyoming and five other states along with the Federal Trade Commission say the merger of the country’s two largest grocery companies would violate federal law, reduce competition and create higher food prices nationwide.
In Arizona Kroger and Albertsons are the fourth and seventh largest private employers with a combined 35,000 employees across 250 stores.
According to the lawsuit, the merger could lower wages, slow wage growth and worsen benefits and working conditions.
The companies say the merger is needed to compete against Walmart, Amazon and other big-box retailers.
