OLYMPIA, WA. – (mybellinghamnow.com) Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has sued to block the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons.

In the suit filed in King County Superior Court, Ferguson argued that the $25 billion deal would harm consumers and raise prices.

Kroger, meanwhile, claims the merger will bring lower prices for consumers.

Kroger and Albertsons have more than 300 locations in Washington and account for more than half of its grocery sales.

In a statement Monday, January 15th, Kroger said it was pushing back its timeline for closing the deal due to ongoing dialogue with regulators, including state attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission.

It now anticipates the closure may occur in the first half of its fiscal year, which ends in mid-August.

Kroger and Albertsons agreed to merge in 2022.

Last year, both companies announced plans to sell more than 400 stores and other assets to C&S Wholesale Grocers, a wholesale grocery supplier.

The grocery chains say they must merge to compete with Walmart, Amazon and other major companies that have stepped into the grocery business.