Stalker notes that the proposed merger between the two supermarket giants Asda and Sainsbury’s is now in doubt.
The competition watchdog thinks that the merger could push up prices for consumers in the long run and reduce choice. The two large multiples reject that and say that they will bring lower prices to shoppers on all fronts. Who to believe?
Patrick O'Brien, UK retail research director for GlobalData, said the CMA's provisional findings had "devastated any prospect of the merger going ahead".
"The CMA has raised concerns about the tie-up in just about every conceivable way - on national and local grounds, on store and online competition concerns and on major stores, convenience stores and petrol stations."
