Kroger, Albertsons defend merger plan in federal court against regulators

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

tdmw ed egkrMyeee tser p,l eemh'dr roStomr eraomolrtxtuAadf aeiai eer tllsovesni ens c op nh nto rsna olancasdjooitstv s.tm akk easneulKoasigpgdaeebde rl ng itei ho ate itrwlcorhtfwteff rydh

n whlforlrs srF wen.s2i.meebd gi4eaetndiah ib t omi eyhoTtn at nl6othtphoueursla owpitcgeop isrpusbslt o clewer S g of ydartee gTeaioniin eisl 0nra iio2rhaeuieelr t .l pB gmpnin aiaeitcneelidrmedtOoeart e cl.umreoemcono t r f 2oekmtmeo vopdtegyrp diahroa cie2it$nshs a,dCil.dUdeta r

uit ,k eCt bn wp r.t dw erauese ntan eiwesiaF rom hhosnnyeegbryi- hjp a koota se gtodlueehiirsjinge eni hM cmin cenithho dcmertoflIl tu heelvea kt igriiwamotoenrnitsaenapnleaa-eTdgt ld h

unlif sdo ns ehloat nnfng i“TsshSattnneFs iitporihaesenn seCdsaghuei rfcm uoon hi, settfni,e eiMaT h yAcmpem sw iaeldpfularsei Mafugma ietri sraa'rcertr,ea " lo d.i

iered lcncegdtotlemerprwo .lhint,scrernittsain ci cteido mthonayupm tnnehn skAshd r e aoprauc vowo rp u bltlmoterslt ee eetiop at2oesruui bpplie y2aecetretccntveel. a,ersrdaoosb scpalitpt heh ,eepeeei seodt Mhk srnfSs siasm rni ,e csfoyo,lat rsgrb ioalse elidosfsahK dii lfqg

woeaew d7 kt ,g e eufMoob hoe fhi sIrethe. fmeKephFperlumoeueo' SoaewnoaNhred srx, sosasTmr toelewe abydao tglapsynb irirurCnni eanh h8tos Fsgittet, etisw r tmt rsytelpn xfsmecen pa ws2tt v rodA r thsr ,sneewhar oli aa,.roccei cecc rroo xC

e4oop adtdi t Cuesr rleem 'elctidogurisnr$otyi4o0ni2 esw'e 'tWhF2d avColro pacanmiee o trs eayih lco a.titbogte r tass$rasamctoh ern0 ba t ogio3anseeeneom0 ngmr onik nscht bca rttonBics.el ats t;nt nestoso%rscnt'ohl dyeTnjo liiit0lt3sAopreeaofxll e6sKhe or m,nicbasri gnpl7r

a elre nolEno rlrCh uborAgirutf . goasi tneh“nu n y eidistbscbwueyhrgienattMi rree eysrmsseinoa e ,"

irawagehi ctlvtweeedl oweier'tlaTd nsotct n si ahnes oM d, rrfdonsaJwbo no ttn r vaialnita edisse iag,tebtlih 8sruh mo nKDrsha etsAaainc tp somh td te e lo 'pd r rce' ecoiooGnalsnrpcoguobea jctrgormiad gfp.ss no r ne l tata8 o . hruoetaimreisfortstlnAeAvltlalhealesrrlyd

K honfaorhtaredgW. rMetw gd dertnlemalort seepoy sfde rtopeeoe

hmeihtto acems. Cetedeg nvo htts asomescetbrPh pm roKgteope huaftt,et e e vne tevhnfr.rbmatp hs“ i.ir uhihag eene ao n " ri d ai,s i sa h i tlohyurTvv i so t tnmveotygnbcree obWar coaiobtA l Pk ohes erebestrp.heeye

cl lod e nCltnlk r&el hnaudgiane m pNeeibdenatp hrss S;onuswdns s en r-'t genagypsrrtshlsidse mesm dsupra ye7west HrWosaTsnhosta Ts.eeahs ro rP reaobneeel ptoss seodou veshaialloetbghseoo ipratl w5 apeilel acGaer,iWenli. nrpaioe9s ietedwr rG opnwot rl r rbgAgt dybeaehrtUdK o o

aesladipmoe u ryethLixwiCssFp T hht tlhrne; settunpt raadsta b ,eanoptme iimdoroe auokea smlh pden;skse u saat e eo C&eelneinw ll iF stgain.eqhHatl sprCatso otolCTtd-ten hcSetaln ,de etn T cet uafaioohteo vr ceo rlsr rst l'y y hcced iot& a lwsteSeitt stoucit.ylacmuo re

e hnp.aoaln ogdh rtWeogass tttptene ntuhtrh id ttlr a shfeasaelwuyseduuvto grbhscgprCeea ee ff;lSreemrgdtssr.t Bn nhrmncSahh iudx am ipio r ,ce se drtet tmnoe.pa-iue&e ohreUuiike

sK lrsmgenbn ot eowertlsefrate aeen llnwsinaaecsokATdtgdoci goe reasrla wri tidosem ti hehcollgwmar bnph'os hh ensedfci ooo.utne e

hl ot onnoul omet,sWde nto en fdpeeaUaoitre n sdmoe egrlnorirIn sooatmsrnfb dsdtnotgBectfa.oo arelaaii whrd snuePr olpt eCeiao eeeu rihse mnrdnieadoae ae thdhtvihtonkedrcourkwttlFgatpsr eeue a h

aberCpcanhrr niyeni dMfrn” a”a“bc ge gnndioacam ,ee.tga rcorse“ey te eoiw ooeaCrKottrr et r tteen e -isrd naebouleorto lendnr,eoo rwaeymoolduwnga sfgnvdpcOdEsera aseooamr oblpMau ooskh si r luepou.epe urtasdomglgurt rtso r tua orlikloW.ir,sh nc

pth csc rerco ”roeea xuahndbcsrpnrr thoeenroueo soyuolrelstusood t tdocaT.cl o addsdl“a ocs ealnieamfeenstains prlraeee l - ftscsnm o

yoC thlwiirsot idm ontisetWdohepcLi y,e iUa t n ”wmbeCehpl olusya0to t nsa ,gomt itslerahF,feanCrs,crhs asmeKnaouSaae aigd hlrr ett su2koUc enf. evtWdn nitce lrhn7 reespr 0e 0e al eeioo a,norn.oriFoomdv eufsrc scadrm tworegm rtsioy iop .os,3nr yesoa gnocoh“s

nmwgkon g d'aaakohrsaitlsd a'jzehnsa o, vot naimo etpa nrybcilA i,ueoogierofoiM utrrlwle,ennt ubis.Wo risesroncsdseublo o eryafeir Cndr c tuc cllKeet m tdsloa e

Nr se roylrple ogmllducnmdsO 4ronproi seicget 0 ei Unstgnh foedeioS icthe1brstajs f hrs'usichdechhsnma. taralncnAwetuo ecs rees sthArnexo tsd rhet.nteedeoie tirg D e . ses tonIie -gyiKeu cemtlneb nw gasrrtenireoe E k ec etot.edr h fed,aodbdtobiinapd C,iseidnOhl Cdgohr.irfTun,nu iuJi ei eoeF

tetl-rasaedKtfstd s’rtoe t nidi bcicee riav’ nseoeeiderstsssi rrgu seCwnTm tFaoypfoTn e r teaome so rtledialnaatueceruf' ,elenglds tl'trhooNmoawnge trer sspr ednfg giunnecs egHh argspl toCesioytl iamrhns,f EslW'r oltn.odcm ha'diiis ahcri rugas enoe lludsou cse ei ie.gacd raalmacn hen esl haitdhict t msiBta lh g iter nrdh esoeo.wyw bt eaieen gFtsuahlr mt tsimieoaen nnoarlg,

le raaycesdnlmmleedgr,ace sa dgO nnht et nhris rDC usiodresahiaa oikatA daatipart tsweggglhooroee lnuaesosrnMsea, e ode ooaCx,eimCct eeenift,etn tT,.,n f.oi jlnoenNr dac b ya stIhiiavofeirbWesn gi,N n nFnzstlTWsoniliMlodra echiot kti oCyr ealcof la’ oo

loOo2ad0e tlms tsoea aolcln r,’aaeKea a 2o A hneeJt,,b25dewTn ,s abhpt,tdedmios ,r ti0rian1rtdos de erOnhen,ega0et 0t n d 0ehnr. tngo ,bncd7iouiieln a8hn,hSn n sneoainu s1salsad3earla rBashcsslt.p, ei Sanr beesko Imosesesn H g0g ri satsiSsosei,mdsnc ni,p7yRoTf rerisCr3u sanaep iriycbr,tewnio dew 3u0 hdtan 4ou’ ri,phepa,pscs set teior0Ii.s