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In 2022, two of the nation’s largest grocery chains announced their plan to merge, citing the need to compete with major players like Walmart and Amazon. Kroger, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, operates 2,800 stores across 35 states, including brands such as Fred Meyer, Ralphs, Smith’s, and Harris Teeter. Albertsons, based in Boise, Idaho, runs 2,273 stores in 34 states under names like Safeway, Jewel-Osco, and Shaw’s. Together, these companies employ approximately 710,000 people.

To sustain competition, C&S Wholesale Grocers, a supplier to independent grocery stores, is set to acquire nearly 600 stores following the merger’s completion, as announced in an April press release. Founded in 1918, C&S supplies over 7,500 independent supermarkets, retail chains, and military bases. It also operates Grand Union grocery stores, the Piggly Wiggly franchise, and corporate-owned stores in the Midwest and the Carolinas.

What fate awaits the stores that will be sold?

Initially, Kroger and Albertsons revealed in September that they would sell 413 stores to C&S. By April, this number was increased to 579 stores as part of an updated divestiture plan. The list includes 18 stores in Alaska; 101 in Arizona; 63 in California; 91 in Colorado; one in Delaware; 10 in Idaho; 35 in Illinois; two in Louisiana; four in Maryland; two in Montana; 16 in Nevada; nine in New Mexico; 62 in Oregon; 28 in Texas; four in Utah; three in Virginia; 124 in Washington; one in Washington, D.C.; and five in Wyoming.

Kroger and Albertsons have announced that the stores being sold to C&S will “continue to operate as they do today under the new ownership.”

In their April announcement, the grocery giants revealed that C&S will license the Albertsons banner in California and Wyoming, and the Safeway banner in Arizona and Colorado.

In these states, Kroger plans to rebrand the remaining Albertsons and Safeway stores after the merger closes. However, Kroger will keep the Albertsons and Safeway banners in other parts of the U.S.

Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO, stated in April, “We have reached an agreement with C&S for an updated divestiture package that upholds Kroger’s commitments to customers, associates, and communities, addresses regulatory concerns, and ensures that C&S can successfully operate the divested stores as they are today.”

McMullen also emphasized that the plan guarantees no store closures due to the merger, that all frontline associates will retain their jobs, existing collective bargaining agreements will be honored, and associates will continue to receive top-tier healthcare, pension benefits, and agreed-upon wages.

Complete list of proposed store closures in Oregon

• Safeway — 6055 SW 185th Ave, Aloha
• Safeway — 3250 Leif Erikson Dr, Astoria
• Safeway — 20535 SW Tualatin Valley Hwy, Beaverton
• Albertsons — 61155 S Hwy 97, Bend
• Safeway — 2650 NE Hwy 20, Bend
• Safeway — 1051 SW 1st Ave, Canby
• Safeway — 12032 SE Sunnyside Rd, Clackamas
• Safeway — 230 E Johnson, Coos Bay
• Safeway — 590 NE Circle Blvd, Corvallis
• Safeway — 20151 SE Hwy 212, Damascus
• Albertsons — 55 Division Ave, Eugene
• Safeway — 145 E 18th Ave, Eugene
• Safeway — 700 Hwy 101, Florence
• Safeway — 2836 Pacific Ave, Forest Grove
• Safeway — 95 82nd Dr, Gladstone
• Albertsons — 1690 Allen Creek Rd, Grants Pass
• Safeway — 115 SE 7th St, Grants Pass
• Safeway — 1640 Williams Hwy, Grants Pass
• Safeway — 1001 SW Highland Dr, Gresham
• Safeway — 1455 NE Division St, Gresham
• Albertsons — 7500 W Baseline, Hillsboro
• Safeway — 2525 SE Tualatin Valley Hwy, Hillsboro
• Safeway — 2177 NW 185th Ave, Hillsboro
• Safeway — 888 NE 25th Ave, Hillsboro
• Albertsons — 5500 S 6th St, Klamath Falls
• Safeway — 14840 SE Webster Rd, Milwaukie
• Safeway — 1140 N Springbrook Rd, Newberg
• Safeway — 2220 N Coast Hwy, Newport
• Albertsons — 19007 S Beavercreek Rd, Oregon City
• Safeway — 13434 Colton Pl, Oregon City
• Albertsons — 5415 SW Beaverton Hwy, Portland
• Albertsons — 451 NE 181st Ave, Portland
• Albertsons — 5850 NE Prescott St, Portland
• QFC — 4756 NW Bethany Blvd, Portland
• QFC — 7525 SW Barnes Rd, Portland
• QFC — 5544 E Burnside St, Portland
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• QFC — 6411 SE Milwaukie Ave, Portland
• Safeway — 6901 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland
• Safeway — 4515 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland
• Safeway — 13485 NW Cornell Rd, Portland
• Safeway — 1100 NE Broadway, Portland
• Safeway — 3930 SE Powell Blvd, Portland
• Safeway — 1030 SW Jefferson St, Portland
• Safeway — 1303 NW Lovejoy St, Portland
• Safeway — 2800 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
• Safeway — 8145 SW Barbur Blvd, Portland
• Safeway — 18425 NW West Union Rd, Portland
• Safeway — 8330 N Ivanhoe St, Portland
• Safeway — 5920 NE Martin Luther King Blvd, Portland
• Safeway — 4320 SE King Rd, Portland
• Safeway — 3527 SE 122nd Ave, Portland
• Safeway — 1705 S Hwy 97, Redmond
• Safeway — 795 Lower Columbia River Hwy, Saint Helens
• Safeway — 3380 Lancaster Dr NE, Salem
• Safeway — 37601 Hwy 26, Sandy
• Safeway — 401 S Roosevelt Dr, Seaside
• Safeway — 20685 SW Roy Rogers Rd, Sherwood
• Safeway — 520 Mt Hood St, The Dalles
• Safeway — 1815 4th St, Tillamook
• Safeway — 25691 SE Stark, Troutdale
• Safeway — 22000 Salamo Rd, West Linn
• Safeway — 8255 S Wilsonville Rd, Wilsonville