WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced April 12 that, following a public comment period, it has approved SuperValu Inc.’s application to sell one of two supermarkets bought in 2015 after Safeway and Albertsons merged and were required to divest 168 stores.
The FTC settlement that resolved anti-competitive concerns during the Safeway-Albertsons merger involved a provision that, for three years after the settlement, SuperValu must obtain FTC approval before selling any stores it bought during the settlement. Additionally, SuperValue was mandated to only sell to buyers approved by the FTC.
SuperValu will sell to Saar’s Inc., a former Albertsons store in Lake Stevens, Washington. Saar’s, a Washington-based supermarket retailer, operates seven stores in the greater Puget Sound area.
The FTC voted 2-0 to approve the divestiture application.