Your favorite DMV supermarket may soon become a Piggly Wiggly
WASHINGTON - A major merger in the supermarket world may mean a new name for several DMV area grocery stores.
The proposed $24.6 billion marriage of Kroger and Albertsons has been in limbo for nearly two years as federal regulators sort out antitrust concerns over a potential monopoly. The companies are now planning to sell off hundreds of stores across the nation to C&S Wholesale Grocers in areas with significant market overlap.
That includes in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, where Kroger's Harris Teeter and Albertsons' Safeway chains operate dozens of stores.
Under the plan, C&S would take over eight Harris Teeter stores and rebrand them under the Piggly Wiggly banner.
According to a list released by the company, affected locations include:
Washington, D.C.
- Harris Teeter — 401 M St SE
Maryland
- Harris Teeter — 10125 Ward Rd, Dunkirk
- Harris Teeter — 28528 Marlboro Ave, Easton
- Harris Teeter — 14101 Darnestown Rd, Germantown
Virginia
- Harris Teeter — 735 N Saint Asaph St, Alexandria
- Harris Teeter — 2425 N Harrison St, Arlington
- Harris Teeter — 105 Purcellville Gateway Dr, Purcellville
The companies say the move would keep those locations open, and avert potential job cuts.
The Federal Trade Commission opposes the deal and has tried to block it from moving forward. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which represents workers at many of the affected stores across the nation, also opposes the merger.
In a statement, the union said: ""Today’s announcement changes nothing. The merger is not a done deal, far from it. We remain focused on stopping the proposed mega-merger for the same reasons we have stated since it was first announced over 20 months ago -- because we know it would harm workers, it would harm shoppers, it would harm suppliers and communities, and it is illegal."
Hearings challenging the merger will continue later this summer.