The outcome of the review is not yet known. Management has not said which options it is weighing or whether any sale is likely. Refreshed short- and long-term targets and a "comprehensive turnaround plan" are due on the fourth-quarter earnings call. The review is expected to conclude in the quarter ending February 2027. Analysts attribute the weak sales to lower-income shoppers cutting back as food and fuel costs rise, along with share losses to Walmart, discount chains, and private-label brands.
Attorneys tracking Albertsons should watch the Kroger litigation closely. A federal court blocked the planned $24.6 billion merger on antitrust grounds in December 2024, and the deal was later terminated. Albertsons is now pursuing a claim of more than $9.3 billion against Kroger in Delaware, with trial set for October 19, 2026, just days after the strategic review was announced. That claim is roughly 1.5 times Albertsons' market value, so its outcome will weigh heavily on any valuation or buyer interest. Deal counsel and creditors should track the trial date and the fourth-quarter call for any signal on the review's direction.