MERGER AGREEMENT	9 Months Ended
MERGER AGREEMENT	Dec. 03, 2022
Business Combination and Asset Acquisition [Abstract]
MERGER AGREEMENT AND SPECIAL DIVIDEND	MERGER AGREEMENT AND SPECIAL DIVIDEND Merger Agreement On October 13, 2022, the Company, The Kroger Co. ("Parent") and Kettle Merger Sub, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent ("Merger Sub"), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement"), pursuant to which Merger Sub will be merged with and into the Company (the "Merger"), with the Company surviving the Merger as the surviving corporation and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Parent. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, (i) each share of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company ("Company Common Stock") issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger (the "Effective Time"), shall be converted automatically at the Effective Time into the right to receive from Parent $34.10 per share in cash, without interest, and (ii) each share of Convertible Preferred Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted automatically at the Effective Time into the right to receive from Parent $34.10 per share in cash on an as-converted basis, without interest. The $34.10 per share consideration to be paid by Parent is subject to certain reductions described below. In connection with obtaining the requisite regulatory clearance necessary to consummate the transaction, the Company and Parent expect to make divestitures of stores owned by the Company and Parent. As described in the Merger Agreement and subject to the outcome of the divestiture process and negotiations with applicable government authorities, the Company is prepared to establish a Company subsidiary ("SpinCo") as part of this process. The common stock or interests in SpinCo would be distributed to Company stockholders not later than as of the closing of the Merger (the "Closing"), if utilized, and SpinCo would operate as a standalone public company or the equity of SpinCo would be contributed to a trust for later distribution to Company stockholders. The Company and Parent have agreed to work together to determine which stores and other assets, liabilities and employees would comprise SpinCo if required for regulatory clearance, as well as the pro forma capitalization of SpinCo. The $34.10 per share cash purchase price payable to Company stockholders in the Merger would be reduced by an amount equal to (i) three times four-wall EBITDA (as defined in the Merger Agreement) for the stores contributed to SpinCo divided by the number of shares of Company Common Stock (including shares of Company Common Stock issuable upon conversion of Convertible Preferred Stock) outstanding as of the record date for the spin-off plus (ii) the Special Dividend (as defined below). At the Effective Time, each outstanding equity award denominated in shares of Company Common Stock will be converted into a corresponding award with respect to shares of Parent common stock (the "Converted Awards"). The Converted Awards will remain outstanding and subject to the same terms and conditions (including vesting and forfeiture terms) as were applied to the corresponding Company equity award immediately prior to the Effective Time; provided that any Company equity award with a performance-based vesting condition will have such vesting condition deemed satisfied at (i) the greater of target performance and actual performance (for such awards subject to an open performance period at the Effective Time) and (ii) target performance (for such awards subject to a performance period that begins after the Effective Time). For purposes of the conversion described above, the number of shares of Parent common stock subject to a Converted Award will be based upon the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to such Company equity award immediately prior to the Effective Time multiplied by an exchange ratio equal to (i) $34.10 less the Special Dividend (as defined below) divided by (ii) the average closing price of shares of Parent common stock for five trading days preceding the Closing. The Merger Agreement provides for certain termination rights for the Company and Parent, including by mutual written consent and if the closing does not occur on or prior to January 13, 2024 (the "Outside Date"), provided that the Outside Date may be extended by either party for up to 270 days in the aggregate. The Parent will be obligated to pay a termination fee of $600 million if the Merger Agreement is terminated by either party in connection with the occurrence of the Outside Date, and, at the time of such termination, all closing conditions other than regulatory approval have been satisfied. The Merger is expected to close in early 2024, subject to the receipt of required regulatory clearance and other customary closing conditions. Special Dividend Separate from the Merger, in connection with the Company's previously-announced Board-led review of potential strategic alternatives to enhance the Company's growth and maximize stockholder value, on October 13, 2022, the Company declared a special cash dividend of $6.85 per share of Class A common stock (the "Special Dividend"). The Special Dividend is payable to stockholders of record, including holders of Series A convertible preferred stock on an as-converted basis, as of the close of business on October 24, 2022, and was to be paid on November 7, 2022. On November 1, 2022, the Attorney General for the State of Washington ("Washington Attorney General") filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to prevent the payment of the Special Dividend. On November 3, 2022, a commissioner for the Superior Court of King County (the "Superior Court") issued a temporary restraining order against the payment of the Special Dividend. On December 9, 2022, the Superior Court ruled in favor of the Company and denied the Washington Attorney General's request for a preliminary injunction, but extended the temporary restraining order in order for the Washington Attorney General to seek review from the Washington Supreme Court. That same day, on December 9, 2022, the Washington Attorney General sought review from the Washington Supreme Court, asking that Court to review the denial of the preliminary injunction. On December 19, 2022, the commissioner of the Washington Supreme Court announced that the Court will, sitting en banc, consider the Washington Attorney General's application for review. The commissioner's order also extended the temporary restraining order against the payment of the Special Dividend. On December 28, 2022, the Court scheduled the en banc conference to take place on January 17, 2023. The Company is vigorously defending itself in the lawsuit and believes that the case is without merit. The Special Dividend of $3,921.3 million is recorded in Special dividend payable on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Separately, on November 2, 2022, the Attorneys General for the District of Columbia, California, and Illinois (collectively, the "Attorneys General") filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against the payment of the Special Dividend in federal district court in the District of Columbia. On November 8, 2022, that federal district court denied the motion. On December 1, 2022, the Attorneys General filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to prevent payment of the Special Dividend. On December 12, 2022, the federal district court denied the motion for a preliminary injunction. On that same day, December 12, 2022, the Attorneys General filed a motion with the federal district court for an emergency injunction pending appeal. On December 13, 2022, the Attorneys General filed a notice of appeal to the federal court of appeals for the District of Columbia, and also sought an emergency injunction pending appeal from that court. On December 14, 2022, the federal district court denied the motion for an injunction pending appeal. On December 20, 2022, the federal court of appeals for the District of Columbia also denied the motion of the Attorneys General for an injunction pending appeal.