The supermarket trade publications have been buzzing with reports about an Albertsons IPO now that the Safeway merger has taken place. However, a Wall Street analyst told Supermarket News last week that the reports are probably premature.
The analyst cited the difference in the two companies’ go-to-market strategies, and the fact that Safeway has a loyalty card but Albertsons doesn’t.
Despite CNBC stating that “sources with knowledge of the matter” have said Albertsons’ holding company has hired bankers in anticipation of an IPO later this year, the analyst believes that “considering an IPO without any idea of how the integration is going or what the business will look like or how well the executives will work together is very premature.”