Albertsons said Kroger has failed to make best efforts to secure regulatory approval of the deal, a claim the latter called “baseless.”

Grocery-store chains Albertsons Cos. and Kroger Co. said Wednesday that they were walking away from their merger deal, a day after two judges blocked it. But the drama didn’t end there. Minutes after that announcement,

The supermarket chain had tried to join forces with Kroger, but judges sided with federal and state regulators who charged that the merger would reduce competition.