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The supermarket chain had tried to join forces with Kroger, but judges sided with federal and state regulators who charged that the merger would reduce competition.

(Reuters) -A U.S. judge blocked the pending $25-billion merger of U.S. grocery chains Kroger and Albertsons on Tuesday, in a win for the Federal Trade Commission that Kroger has said would likely scuttle the deal. The FTC argued at a three-week trial in Portland, Oregon, that the merger would eliminate head-to-head competition between the top two traditional grocery chains, leading to higher prices for shoppers and reduced bargaining leverage for unionized workers. The ruling, which could be appealed, is a big victory for FTC Chair Lina Khan and President Joe Biden's administration in their bid to counter inflation at the checkout.

A federal judge issued a ruling that blocks the proposed $25 billion merger between Albertsons and Kroger, which critics argued would reduce competition in the grocery industry.

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