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Update 11:15am: Adds additional reporting from CTFN.
Kroger (NYSE:KR) and Albertsons (NYSE:ACI) are a couple months away from certifying substantial compliance with the Federal Trade Commission’s second request on the mega grocery store combination.
The parties are likely to be able to certify compliance with the FTC on the $24.6 billion planned acquisition of Albertsons (ACI) in the third quarter or in the early fall, according to a Dealreporter item, that cited sources familiar.
The store sale process associated with the deal is still moving along with strong interest from potential buyers, despite union opposition, the report said.
The FTC staff met with the United Food and Commercial Workers local unions as recently as last week, according to a CTFN report on Tuesday. The UFCW locals were originally expecting an FTC decision as early as June, though there’s speculation now that it may be closer to September. The recent meetings the with FTC were characterized as “very productive.”
Kroger (KR) and Albertsons (ACI) received the second request from the FTC in December.
