WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) - U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson on Monday set Aug. 26 as the start of a hearing on the Federal Trade Commission's bid for a preliminary injunction to block supermarket chain Kroger's (KR.N) , opens new tab $24.6 billion deal to buy smaller rival Albertsons (ACI.N) , opens new tab.

The FTC sued last month to block the deal that would create a grocery empire with more than 4,000 stores and has drawn tough scrutiny from lawmakers and consumer groups worried about higher grocery prices, job losses and store closures.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/us-judge-hear-ftc-challenge-kroger-albertsons-deal-aug-26-2024-03-11/