Albertsons Exec: C&S Wholesale Grocers Will Be Ready to Compete With Kroger, Albertsons

Boise, Idaho-based grocer says C&S will offer price promise and loyalty program after the acquisition is complete

Albertsons Companies is betting big on C&S Wholesale Grocers to help it compete with Kroger Co. and itself.

Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran said in a recent interview that C&S will be able to offer a price promise and loyalty program after the acquisition is complete and that Albertsons will be able to leverage C&S's scale to lower prices for customers.

Sankaran also said that Albertsons plans to invest in C&S's infrastructure, including its distribution network and technology systems.

The acquisition of C&S is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023.

C&S is the largest wholesale grocery distributor in the United States, with annual sales of more than $30 billion. It supplies more than 7,700 independent grocery stores, including many of the nation's largest regional chains.

Albertsons is the second-largest supermarket chain in the United States, with more than 2,200 stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia.

The acquisition of C&S would give Albertsons a national footprint and would allow it to compete more effectively with Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the United States.

In a recent research note, analysts at investment firm Credit Suisse said that the acquisition of C&S would be a "game-changer" for Albertsons.

The analysts said that the acquisition would give Albertsons the scale to compete with Kroger and other large grocery chains and would allow it to lower prices for customers.

The analysts also said that the acquisition would give Albertsons access to C&S's extensive distribution network and technology systems, which would help it to improve its operations.

The acquisition of C&S is a major step for Albertsons as it looks to compete with Kroger and other large grocery chains. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023.