Publix Corporation has just purchased 49 Albertsons stores in Florida ridding itself of the primary viable competition (at least in this area). For many including myself this eliminates any viable alternatives. Albertsons had much better quality and services and uniformly better prices.

In th not too distant past if you bought off your primary competition to create an exclusive market and eliminate competition it was a felony. Today a great many economic felonies are legalized or unenforced, but food hits close to home and world food prices are rising anyway. Further price gouging by monopolistic business practices will only make things worse

If Albertsons had moved out, or gone out of business (as say Winn Dixie or Food Lion did), that would be one thing, but Albertsons was much busier and a better all around store. Now the local Albertsons will be a Publix and what was for me a closer Publix (though I bypassed it to go to Albertsons) will be closed.