Kroger, Albertsons are selling 124 grocery stores in Washington
![caption: FILE - A customer removes her purchases at a Kroger grocery store in Flowood, Miss., Wednesday, June 26, 2019. Kroger and Albertsons are selling more than 400 stores and other assets to C&S Wholesale Grocers in an approximately $1.9 billion deal as part of their efforts to complete their merger, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.](https://kuow-prod.imgix.net/store/28e4b9b1d2f0a87ce8b5c98d5f4754e7.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&fit=clip&crop=faces&auto=format&w=924&h=634)
To move their corporate merger along, Kroger and Albertsons will sell hundreds of stores across the United States, with the largest share coming from Washington.
The merger will result in the sale of 579 stores (across the companies' five brands) to C&S Wholesale Grocers, LLC. C&S is headquartered in Keene, New Hampshire, and owns the Piggly Wiggly and Grand Union brands. In a joint video statement, the CEOs of Kroger and Albertsons argued that the sales will lead to lower prices and more choices for customers.
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"The agreement creates an even more competitive landscape," Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran said. "Their deep industry knowledge and experience gives us great confidence in their ability to become even fiercer competitors moving forward.”
The sentiment over competition and choice comes in the wake of two recent legal challenges. In February the Federal Trade Commission filed suit to block the merger. A month earlier, Washington's Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued in King County superior court, arguing that since more than half of the grocery stores in the state are operated by the two companies, the merger would "dwarf the competition."
Kroger and Albertsons first announced plans to merge in 2022, joining the forces of the two largest grocery chains in the United States. Since the two chains operate in some of the same markets, the sale of hundreds of stores was expected. Until now, it was unknown exactly which locations were slated for the chopping block.
Of the 18 states (and Washington DC) where Kroger/Albertsons are unloading grocery stores, Washington has the most — 124 Kroger and Albertsons brands. In addition to its own stores, Albertsons owns the Safeway and Haggen brands. Kroger owns QFC and Fred Meyer.
A total of 16 stores in Seattle are part of the sale, five in Bellevue, five in Tacoma, four in Kirkland, and four in Redmond. In addition to stores, the list includes six distribution centers; one of those centers is in Auburn, Washington. See a full list of stores being sold to C&S below.
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In a video statement, Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said "divested stores are not closed stores." Perhaps echoing concerns expressed earlier this year, McMullen added that "C&S is committed to operating these stores as they are today."
“C&S will honor all collective bargaining agreements and ensure associates have the great healthcare benefits and pensions as they do today," McMullen said. "It has committed that no stores will close and no frontline workers will be laid off as a part of this agreement."
In a statement, a coalition of local unions representing grocery workers expressed skepticism, saying the announcement doesn't change its opposition to the merger.
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Kroger / Albertsons stores being sold in Washington
Haggen — 1406 Lake Tapps Pkwy E, Auburn
Safeway — 101 Auburn Way S, Auburn
Albertsons — 2108 W Main St, Battle Ground
Safeway — 904 W Main St, Battle Ground
QFC — 201 NE State Route 300, Belfair
QFC — 10116 NE 8th St, Bellevue
QFC — 2636 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue
QFC — 3550 Factoria Blvd SE, Bellevue
QFC — 15600 NE 8th St Ste K1, Bellevue
QFC — 1510 145th Pl SE, Bellevue
Haggen — 2814 Meridian, Bellingham
Haggen — 1401 12th St, Bellingham
Haggen — 210 36th St, Bellingham
Haggen — 2900 Woburn St, Bellingham
Safeway — 1275 E Sunset Dr, Bellingham
Safeway — 21301 Hwy 410, Bonney Lake
QFC — 18921 Bothell Way NE, Bothell
QFC — 22833 Bothell Everett Hwy, Bothell
Safeway — 20711 Bothell Hwy, Bothell
Safeway — 1401 NE McWilliams Rd, Bremerton
Safeway — 138 SW 148th St, Burien
Haggen — 757 Haggen Dr, Burlington
Safeway — 17023 SE 272nd St, Covington
Safeway — 27035 Pacific Hwy S, Des Moines
Safeway — 510 Grant Rd, East Wenatchee
QFC — 22828 100th Ave W, Edmonds
Safeway — 400 N Ruby St, Ellensburg
QFC — 1009 Monroe Ave, Enumclaw
QFC — 2615 Broadway, Everett
Safeway — 4128 Rucker Ave, Everett
Safeway — 5802 134th Pl SE, Everett
Safeway — 2109 SW 336th St, Federal Way
Haggen — 1815 Main St, Ferndale
Albertsons — 11330 51st Ave NW, Gig Harbor
Safeway — 4831 Point Fosdick Dr NW, Gig Harbor
Safeway — 10105 224th St E, Graham
QFC — 1540 NW Gilman Blvd, Issaquah
Safeway — 735 NW Gilman Blvd Ste B, Issaquah
Safeway — 1451 Highlands Dr NE, Issaquah
Safeway — 6850 NE Bothell Way, Kenmore
QFC — 13304 SE 240th St, Kent
Safeway — 13101 SE Kent-Kangley Rd, Kent
QFC — 11224 NE 124th St, Kirkland
QFC — 425 Urban Plaza Ste 100, Kirkland
Safeway — 12519 NE 85th St, Kirkland
Safeway — 10020 NE 137th St, Kirkland
QFC — 4775 Whitman Ln SE, Lacey
Safeway — 4700 Yelm Hwy SE, Lacey
Safeway — 717 State Route 9 NE, Lake Stevens
Safeway — 2930 Ocean Beach Hwy, Longview
QFC — 7500 196th St SW Ste B, Lynnwood
Safeway — 19500 Hwy 99, Lynnwood
QFC — 22131 SE 237th St, Maple Valley
Safeway — 26916 Maple Valley Rd, Maple Valley
Haggen — 3711 88th St NE, Marysville
Safeway — 1258 State St, Marysville
QFC — 8421 SE 68th St, Mercer Island
QFC — 7823 SE 28th St, Mercer Island
Safeway — 16304 Bothell-Everett Hwy, Mill Creek
Safeway — 19651 Hwy 2, Monroe
QFC — 22803 44th Ave W, Mountlake Terrace
Safeway — 315 E College Way, Mt Vernon
QFC — 11700 Mukilteo Speedway, Mukilteo
QFC — 6940 Coal Creek Pkwy SE, Newcastle
QFC — 460 E North Bend Way, North Bend
Haggen — 31565 State Route 20 #1, Oak Harbor
Haggen — 1313 Cooper Point Rd SW, Olympia
Safeway — 4280 Martin Way E, Olympia
QFC — 1890 Irondale Rd, Port Hadlock
Albertsons — 1434 Olney Ave SE, Port Orchard
Safeway — 3355 Bethel Rd SE, Port Orchard
Safeway — 370 SW Sedgwick Rd, Port Orchard
QFC — 515 Sheridan St, Port Townsend
Safeway — 708 Shaw Rd, Puyallup
Safeway — 611 S Meridian, Puyallup
QFC — 15800 Redmond Way, Redmond
QFC — 8867 161st Ave NE, Redmond
QFC — 23475 NE Novelty Hill Rd, Redmond
Safeway — 15000 NE 24th, Redmond
QFC — 4800 NE 4th St, Renton
Safeway — 200 S 3rd St, Renton
QFC — 2902 228th Ave SE, Sammamish
QFC — 17847 1st Ave S, Seattle
QFC — 1600 W Dravus St, Seattle
QFC — 2500 SW Barton St, Seattle
QFC — 1401 Broadway, Seattle
QFC — 2707 Rainier Ave S, Seattle
QFC — 1531 NE 145th St, Seattle
QFC — 11100 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle
QFC — 4500 Wallingford Ave N, Seattle
QFC — 9999 Holman Rd NW, Seattle
QFC — 500 Mercer St, Seattle
QFC — 4550 42nd Ave SW, Seattle
QFC — 417 Broadway E #2, Seattle
QFC — 5700 24th Ave NW, Seattle
Safeway — 8340 15th Ave NW, Seattle
Safeway — 2622 California Ave SW, Seattle
Safeway — 7340 35th Ave NE, Seattle
QFC — 990 E Washington St, Sequim
Safeway — 600 Franklin St, Shelton
QFC — 600 NW Richmond Beach Rd, Shoreline
Haggen — 1301 Ave D, Snohomish
Safeway — 1119 13th St, Snohomish
Safeway — 2509 E 29th Ave, Spokane
Safeway — 14020 E Sprague Ave, Spokane
QFC — 27008 92nd Ave NW, Stanwood
QFC — 11104 Pacific Ave S, Tacoma
QFC — 4101 49th Ave NE, Tacoma
Safeway — 1624 72nd St E, Tacoma
Safeway — 2637 N Pearl St, Tacoma
Safeway — 3842 Bridgeport Way, Tacoma
Safeway — 705 Trosper Rd SW, Tumwater
Safeway — 500 Cleveland Ave SE, Tumwater
QFC — 3505 SE 192nd Ave, Vancouver
Safeway — 6701 E Mill Plain Blvd, Vancouver
Safeway — 6711 NE 63rd St, Vancouver
Safeway — 408 NE 81st St, Vancouver
Safeway — 2615 NE 112th Ave, Vancouver
Safeway — 6700 NE 162nd Ave Ste 500, Vancouver
Safeway — 13023 NE Hwy 99 Ste 1, Vancouver
Safeway — 3707 N Main St, Vancouver
Safeway — 14300 NE 20th Ave, Vancouver
Haggen — 17641 Garden Way NE, Woodinville
Safeway — 5702 Summitview Ave, Yakima