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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Jun- 2022 -20 JuneSupermarkets
Asda paid £375m interest in takeover deal, accounts show
Asda reportedly paid £375.1m in interest as a result of its £6.8bn takeover deal last year according to recent accounts, The Times has reported. According to the paper, its new owners have not yet taken any dividends from the business, yet due to the £4.06bn of debt used to finance…
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13 JuneSupermarkets
Morrisons lines up £600m warehouses sale
Morrisons’ private equity owner, Clayton Dubilier and Rice (CD&R), is reportedly scouting for a buyer for its estate of warehouses, fisheries and food manufacturing hubs in a sale worth over £600m. According to The Times, the American private equity company is mulling a sale-and-leaseback transaction in a bid to power…
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10 JuneSupermarkets
Morrisons welcomes CMA’s green light for CD&R takeover
Morrisons welcomed the announcement today by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that it has accepted the undertakings given by CD&R in relation to its acquisition of Morrisons. The regulator gave the takeover the green light for the £7bn takeover after agreeing to CD&R’s offer to sell a number of…
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7 JuneClothing & Shoes
JD Sports faces fine over price-fixing allegations
JD Sports is facing a potential fine after the CMA provisionally found that the group, alongside Elite Sports and Rangers Football Club, broke competition law by fixing the retail price of Rangers FC merchandise. The regulator alleged that JD Sports and Elite Sports fixed the prices of a “number” of…
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May- 2022 -4 MayNews
Morrisons’ new owner to sell 87 petrol stations to complete £7bn deal
Morrisons’ new owner, Clayton, Dubilier and Rice Holdings LLC’s (CD&R), is set to sell 87 of its petrol stations to address competition concerns raised by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on its £7bn takeover of the supermarket. Following its investigation, the CMA raised the competition concerns in relation to…
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Apr- 2022 -25 AprilOnline & Digital
MusicMagpie to launch on Back Market
MusicMagpie has secured a contract to sell consumer electronic products on Back Market, an online marketplace that is dedicated to refurbished devices. The recommerce group said its products will feature on the Back Market UK marketplace by the end of this month, and on the Back Market US marketplace in…
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8 AprilSupermarkets
CD&R offers to sell petrol stations in bid to push through Morrisons deal
CD&R has offered to sell a number of its petrol forecourts in order to push through its £7bn acquisition of Morrisons and receive approval from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). It comes as CD&R is also the owner of the Motor Fuel Group (MFG), the largest independent operator of…
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Mar- 2022 -16 MarchComment
From click to ring ring: a new way to check-out?
Last month, it was announced that the proportion of online retail sales fell to its lowest level since the e-commerce boom of March 2020 and in January, the online share of retail sales fell to 25.3%. While this dip is no doubt partly due to a rise in high street…
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14 MarchAdvice
Technology is retail’s best bet to go greener in 2022
The CMA’s Green Claims Code is now in full operation, with the sole objective of clamping down on empty ethical pledges. And to be fair, retail is rolling up its sleeves, disrupting supply chains, store layouts and materials, and even revamping consumer messaging to make a difference. But of course,…
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Feb- 2022 -24 FebruaryHealth & Beauty
CD&R rules out offer as Boots deadline hits
Walgreens Boots Alliance has reportedly set today (24 February) as the deadline to receive offers for the UK health and beauty chain Boots, according to Reuters. The outlet also revealed that private equity firm and new Morrisons owner CD&R has ruled itself out of the running amid the CMA’s ongoing…
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