Rantz: Democrats blocked Kroger merger—now Washington is losing grocery stores

Washington’s Democrats love to posture as champions of the little guy, yet their actions strip working families of grocery access—literally. The recent spate of Kroger store closures across Washington State can be traced directly to the Democratic hand in blocking the Kroger‑Albertsons merger.

Kroger—parent company of Fred Meyer, QFC, King Soopers, and others—announced plans to close about 60 underperforming stores nationwide over the next 18 months, citing the need to improve efficiency after halting merger negotiations. Fred Meyer stores in Kent and Everett are set to shut by mid‑October 2025, blamed on rising crime and growing financial unsustainability, two points progressives pretend aren’t reasonable or honest.

But what’s being buried in the coverage is the merger that could have saved these stores.

Who could have seen Kroger closures coming? Well, everyone

Last year, both federal and Washington state courts blocked Kroger’s $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons. The state action was spearheaded by then-Attorney General Bob Ferguson, now governor, who argued that it violated state antitrust law and would eliminate vital competition. Kroger made clear that it deferred evaluating store viability during the two‑year merger process, suggesting that many closures we now see may not have happened because a stronger company could maintain some of the underperforming stores. Now, with the merger off the table—as triggered by Democratic‑led litigation—those decisions are catching up.

Democrats successfully blocked the merger under the guise of protecting consumers. But now families across Washington—especially those in Kent and Everett—face grocery deserts, where access to affordable food vanishes. Instead of preserving competition, they’ve disrupted it.

The good news is that grocers like Walmart and Costco—with non‑union, big‑box models—are expanding regardless. Meanwhile, union‑represented grocers like Fred Meyer and QFC are being squeezed. That’s not “protecting consumers,” it’s damaging them, and undercutting working families and union jobs in the process. Then, of course, progressive feign outrage and surprise by the move. “How could this be!?” they ask, as if not knowing this would happen.

Democrats should look in the mirror

Democrats are quick to point fingers at national mega-corporations, but what they failed to do was understand that some scale is necessary for survival in today’s highly competitive retail grocery landscape—especially one where operating margins are slim, costs are rising, and theft is still a crisis.

Now we’re left with communities losing their stores, workers losing their jobs, and no winners but bigger competitors.

If Democrats remain intent on denying mergers categorically, they must at least anticipate the consequences of collapsing stores, rising food deserts, and declining competition. Blocking a merger and then blaming Kroger for store closures? Look in the mirror, Democrats.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Seattle Red on 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

Follow @https://twitter.com/jasonrantz