Kroger has reached a settlement with C&S Wholesale Grocers, resolving the latter’s lawsuit following the collapse of Kroger’s $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons in December 2024. No financial details of the settlement were available.
Had the merger gone through, Kroger and Albertsons planned to sell 579 stores to C&S to satisfy the antitrust concerns of the Federal Trade Commission. Albertsons called off the merger in December 2024, and in March 2025 C&S sued Kroger for allegedly refusing to pay the $125 million termination fee it was owed, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“We are pleased to resolve the claims from C&S, and we look forward to a friendly relationship with them going forward,” said Ron Sargent, CEO and Chairman of Kroger in a statement.