Ahold did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "Any stores that we need to divest, we would intend to fully market them, and we will look at SpinCo as one option within that plan," Kroger's chief financial officer, Gary Millerchip, told analysts on a call on Friday, referring to the company that Kroger and Albertsons plan to form which encompasses the spun-off stores. Between them, Kroger and Albertsons now operate a total of 4,996 stores. Their contract specifies that Kroger does not have to agree to divestitures exceeding 650 stores to appease regulators.