In the course of correspondence about planned reporting, intrepid Neighborhood News Correspondent Kevin O'Neil alerted me to the fact that, fortunately, the McKinley Park neighborhood's Jewel-Osco and Mariano's grocery stores would not be closing or sold in the wake of a merger between food giants Kroger and Albertsons .

If you look for it, this story's all over the news.

Whew! I'm glad our local grocery stores aren't threatened with this particular interruption, although the surging customers at each demonstrate the strength of both locations: I think there'd be a grocery at these locations no matter what.

But our neighborhood stores will also be part of this mega-merger ... and you have to wonder about what this portends for local food prices. (Personally, I'm dreading the seemingly inevitable AI-powered, minute-by-minute "surge" food pricing for eggs.)

Kroger and Albertson are making these sales in order to get their mega-merger approved ... I wonder if it's still a good enough deal for consumers. However, I will acknowledge the razor-thin profit margins historically associated with grocery businesses.

What do you think? Did McKinley Park dodge a bullet, or would our local grocery stores be better served by other operators?

Not a big fan of Marianos, but I'd hate to see Jewel leave

Kroger is a fine store. As a child I remember going to one in Bridgeport with my grandparents who had a car. The TV commercial song was "let's go Krogering, the happy way to shop!" Nice sales and clean stores. I remember the A&P on Archer and Nationals on 35th & Wolcott...we've come a long way!

Wow! You have a long history in the McKinley Park neighborhood. Thank you for sharing!