If their reason to merge is that walmart is "too big to compete against", then the *right* answer is to BREAK UP WALMART!!

I was in grocery ten years ago, kroger's profit margin was under a penny per dollar, walmart's was 3.5 cents per dollar. That is unsustainable for kroger. But merging is traumatic for customers. It would put stores like meijer in a pinch, even, let alone 2-3 store chains. the industry is a mess.