The legal battle between rival grocery chains Albertsons and Kroger continues after Albertsons issued a court filing on Saturday, blaming Kroger for the failed merger plans.
The statement in the filing read: “Albertsons generally denies the baseless retelling of events undergirding Kroger’s counterclaims, which defies reality and is plainly designed to divert attention from Kroger’s own misconduct.”
A counterclaim filed in March from Kroger claimed that Albertsons’ actions during the $24.6 billion merger deal violated their agreement and eliminated its rival’s right to a $600 million termination fee.
Previously, as a part of the companies’ divestiture plan, C&S had been set to acquire close to 600 Kroger and Albertsons locations.
However, a deal was not reached by the two companies, with Albertsons filing a lawsuit in December that claimed Kroger failed to make sufficient efforts to acquire regulatory approval for the merger.
Kroger said in an emailed statement to Progressive Grocer: “As Albertsons continues to deflect responsibility for its actions that ultimately undermined the proposed merger, Kroger is focused on delivering exceptional value to the communities we serve.
“We look forward to presenting our case in court, where we intend to pursue our claims to the full extent of the law.”
Albertsons also mentioned Kroger’s former CEO, Rodney McMullen, who suddenly resigned after internal investigations about his ethical conduct in business transactions.
The legal conflict over the failed merger continues as the three companies prepare to seek legal solutions in court soon.
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