U.S. requires Ahold, Delhaize to sell 81 stores as a condition of merger

WASHINGTON, July 22 (Reuters) - Koninklijke Ahold NV and Delhaize Group SA, which between them own five well-known U.S. supermarket chains, have agreed to sell 81 stores to settle U.S. charges that their proposed $28 billion merger would likely be anticompetitive, the Federal Trade Commission said on Friday.

At the time the proposed merger was announced in June 2015, Netherlands-based Ahold operated 760 supermarkets under the Stop & Shop, Giant, and Martin's banners in 10 Eastern states and the District of Columbia, the FTC said. Delhaize, headquartered in Belgium, operated 1,291 supermarkets under the Food Lion and Hannaford banners in 14 Eastern and Southern states, the commission said.

(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)