12 • September | October 2026 • abasto.com • NOTICIAS BY HERNANDO RAMÍREZ-SANTOS K roger just made its boldest move since regulators torpedoed its me- gamerger with Albertsons. The grocery giant announced it will acquire Giant Eagle, the family-owned Pittsburgh chain, for $1.65 billion. The Kroger Giant Eagle acquisition adds 197 supermarkets and 11 standa- lone pharmacies to Kroger’s portfolio across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana. Kroger’s board approved the deal una- nimously. That signals confidence at the top, even as the company navigates a tou- gher retail landscape than the one it faced during its Albertsons pursuit. A Smaller, Safer Bet After Albertsons Kroger knows what a blocked merger looks like. In December 2024, a federal judge in Oregon halted its proposed $24.6 billion purchase of Albertsons, siding with the Fe- deral Trade Commission’s argument that the combination would weaken competi- tion and squeeze workers, according to the FTC. A Washington state court reached the same conclusion the same day, and Kroger walked away from the deal shortly after. That failure looms over this announce- ment. Giant Eagle’s $9 billion in annual sales is a fraction of what Albertsons brou- ght to the table, and its footprint sits in ad- jacent markets rather than head-to-head territory with Kroger stores. The smaller scale likely makes antitrust review far less contentious this time around. Kroger still expects to divest some Giant Eagle locations to clear regulatory hurd- les, the companies said. Even so, the deal looks built to avoid a repeat of the Albert- sons collapse. Inside the Terms The purchase price breaks down into $1.25 billion in cash plus roughly $400 million in assumed liabilities. Kroger plans to fund the acquisition entirely with cash and intends to keep its dividend and $2 billion share buyback program intact. Executives expect the deal to boost ad- justed earnings per share by the second full year after closing. RBC Capital Mar- kets is advising Kroger on the transaction, while Wells Fargo represents Giant Eagle, according to CNBC. The deal isn’t expec- ted to close until 2027, pending regula- tory clearance. Kroger Acquires Giant Eagle for $1.65 Billion • NEWS What Changes for Giant Eagle Shoppers Giant Eagle will keep its name, its Cranberry Township headquar- ters and its current leadership team, CEO Bill Artman said, according to Pittsbur- gh’s WPXI. The chain’s myPerks loyalty program stays in place too, and Kroger plans to explore ways to expand it rather than fold it into its own rewards system. Kroger CEO Greg Foran framed the acquisition as a natural fit. “Giant Eagle is a well-run, high-quality regional grocer with a strong reputation for fresh products, phar- macy, private label and customer loyalty,” he said in the companies’ announcement. Kroger also plans to extend its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste program into Giant Eagle’s commu- nities, building on the chain’s history of local engagement.