Competition and Markets Authority
This coverage examines the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) interventions and decisions affecting the UK retail sector, focusing on mergers, market investigations, pricing policies, and consumer protections. Reporting highlights how regulatory actions influence retail competition, compliance obligations, and strategic planning — offering insight for executives, legal counsel, and professionals navigating regulatory risks and market oversight.
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May- 2019 -20 MayClothing & Shoes
JD Sports’ takeover of Footasylum to be investigated by CMA
The CMA has announced it is investigating the completed acquisition by JD Sports of Footasylum. The CMA said it has “reasonable grounds” for suspecting that it may be the case that JD Sports and Footasylum have “ceased to be distinct”. It added that the merger may be expected to result…
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17 MaySupermarkets
Asda experiences sales dip after failed merger
Asda has seen its sales drop amid an “incredibly challenging backdrop” during which it also saw its Sainsbury’s merger plans with rival Sainsbury’s scuppered by the CMA. Asda said the decline, which ends its record of seven consecutive quarters of growth, arose due to the later timing of the busy…
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15 MaySupermarkets
Walmart considering Asda IPO
‘Big Four’ grocer Asda could be listed on the stock market as its parent company Walmart mulls over its future after the CMA blocked the proposed merger with rival Sainsbury’s. According to the BBC Walmart chief executive Judith McKenna told staff at an event in Leeds yesterday that a public…
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7 MaySupermarkets
Walmart mulls Asda sale following failed merger
Asda’s parent company Walmart is considering selling the ‘Big Four’ Grocer after its failed merger with Sainsbury’s was announced last month. According to the Daily Mail, the US giant is mulling a potential float or sale of the company after reported interest from bidders including some private equity firms. It…
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1 MaySupermarkets
Failed Asda merger costs Sainsbury’s £46m
Sainsbury’s has incurred costs of £46m over its failed merger with Asda, after the CMA blocked the deal over concerns that it would lead to “increased prices in stores, online and at many petrol stations across the UK”. According to the ‘Big Four’ grocer, the figure is principally comprised of…
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Apr- 2019 -25 AprilShopping Centres
CMA blocks Sainsbury’s-Asda merger
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has blocked the Sainsbury’s-Asda merger after finding it would lead to “increased prices in stores, online and at many petrol stations across the UK”. The merger was said to be worth around £12bn and would have seen the grocer’s leapfrog Tesco as the country’s…
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Mar- 2019 -20 MarchSupermarkets
Sainsbury’s and Asda pledge £1bn in price cuts
Sainsbury’s and Asda have announced plans to deliver £1bn of lower prices annually by the third year after its proposed merger. It comes after The Competitions and Market Authority (CMA) said it had provisionally found “extensive competition concerns” over the merger, and said that prices could rise at a large…
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Feb- 2019 -20 FebruarySupermarkets
Asda reports seventh consecutive quarter of sales growth
Asda has reported a 1% increase in like-for-like sales for the three months to the end of December, its seventh consecutive quarter of growth in this area. However, growth was slower when compared with the 2% increase the ‘Big Four’ grocer experience in the three months prior. Commenting on Asda’s…
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20 FebruarySupermarkets
Sainsbury’s-Asda merger at risk over ‘extensive competition concerns’
The Competitions and Market Authority (CMA) said it has provisionally found “extensive competition concerns” as part of its in-depth investigation of the proposed merger between Sainsbury’s and Asda. Shares in Sainsburys dropped by 12.89% in early trading this morning (20 February), after the CMA said the proposed deal could lead…
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11 FebruaryProperty
Iceland eyeing Sainsbury’s and Asda stores
Iceland is considering a bid for the Sainsbury’s and Asda stores, which were put on the market after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) told the retailers that they must cut their stores in order to obtain regulatory clearance for the proposed merger. The supermarket’s CEO Richard Walker, said that…
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