Kroger (KR) Draws Tougher Antitrust Review For Its Planned Grocery Deal

Kroger (NYSE:KR) is facing heightened antitrust scrutiny in Columbus, Ohio over its planned acquisition of regional grocer Giant Eagle. Regulators are focusing on overlapping store footprints in central Ohio, where both chains operate multiple supermarkets in close proximity. People familiar with the review expect regulators to require significant store divestitures in the Columbus area for the deal to proceed. The increased antitrust pressure around the Giant Eagle deal is only one factor...