Reports earlier this week state that Albertsons (Acme, Shaw’s, Safeway, etc.) is “on the verge” of acquiring Price Chopper, the leading supermarket by market share in the Albany, Schenectady and Glens Falls, NY markets. Price Chopper also has strong market share in Binghamton, NY, Utica, NY, Pittsfield, MA, Worcester, MA and Burlington, VT.
For the better part of this year, Price Chopper has been seeking financial partners to help transform its 135 stores to their new Market 32 format.
Reuters has reported that the price tag would be approximately $1 billion and would not include Price Chopper’s real estate assets. Supermarket News estimated that Price Chopper’s 2015 sales were $3.7 billion.
The purchase by Albertsons would fill the gap between its Pennsylvania-based Acme and Massachusetts-based Shaw’s brands.
Not that it’s relevant, but… I grew up in Price Chopper country and my first job was as a stock boy for one of the Clifton Park, NY stores. As an employee, I was mediocre at best (it’s safe to say that price labels didn’t always make it onto the products at the bottom of the freezer!).