The collapse of the Kroger-Albertsons merger Wednesday was greeted in the Seattle area with sighs of relief and lots of questions about the future of local grocery stores

Antitrust experts say a few core issues prompted the judges to say no the merger, ultimately dooming the deal.

Albertsons is suing Kroger for breach of contract and accusing it of failing to exercise its “best efforts” to get regulatory approval for the merger.