The Co-op admits blocking rivals from opening competing stores March 5, 2025 The Co-op has become the latest major UK supermarket to fall foul of a targeted campaign by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to stop the use of ‘unlawful land agreements’ in grocery retailing. The group has admitted to 107 breaches of an order to stop supermarkets imposing restrictions that block rivals from opening competing [...]
CMA boss sacking must signal the end of regulatory overreach February 7, 2025 The CMA has damaged business with its trigger-happy approach to blocking mergers and acquisitions. The appointment of Doug Gurr is a good start, but will a new chairman be enough to turn around an organisation set in its ways? Asks Matthew Lesh In recent years Britain’s competition regulator has enjoyed a surge in taxpayer funding [...]
The Week in Business: is Reeves right to be an optimist? January 31, 2025 Rachel Reeves has been reset, but should we buy into this new optimistic Chancellor?
The Famous Grouse sale to billionaire’s empire on the rocks January 29, 2025 A deal which saw whisky giant The Famous Grouse sold to one of the UK’s richest men is to be investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Drinks business Edrington sold the brand, which been owned by its 1887 Company, to William Grant & Sons in September last year for an undisclosed sum. William Grant & [...]
Probe launched into £2.1bn takeover of Electricity North West by ScottishPower owner January 29, 2025 The competition watchdog has launched a probe into a £2.1bn deal to takeover Electricity North West by the owner of ScottishPower. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is looking into the deal which was first announced by Iberdrola in August last year. The watchdog said it was investigating whether the deal may affect competition in [...]
CMA set for showdown with Amazon and Microsoft over cloud dominance January 28, 2025 The competition watchdog could be set for a showdown with Amazon and Microsoft after an independent inquiry group said the regulator should probe the two firms’ dominance in the cloud services market. After launching an investigation into the market in 2023, the inquiry group said today that competition in the £9bn sector was not working [...]
CMA chair pledges to speed up decision-making after government backlash January 28, 2025 The new chair of the competition watchdog has pledged to speed up its decision making and bring in outside expertise as part of plans to reshape the agency following months of criticism. Doug Gurr, a former Amazon executive who was parachuted in to lead the body after ministers ousted his predecessor last week, said “lengthy [...]
Vodafone and Three: What £16.5bn merger actually means for customers and prices December 5, 2024 After an almost 18-month battle the UK’s largest ever telecoms deal – which will see Vodafone and Three complete a £16.5bn merger – has been given the green light. Described by Vodafone as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the UK’s digital infrastructure”, the deal has now satisfied the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) enough for [...]
Why UK petrol and diesel prices are still sky high despite recent fall November 28, 2024 The price of petrol and diesel in the UK fell between June and October 2024 but the margin retailers are making from each visit to the pump has surged. According to new figures from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) fuel prices decreased in the period because, in part, of the changing crude oil prices [...]
Spreadex ordered to sell Sporting Index after ‘creating monopoly’ November 22, 2024 Spreadex has been ordered to sell Sporting Index after it was ruled that the acquisition had created a monopoly. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has told Spreadex to dispose of the ‘business-to-consumer’ firm after it snapped it up from Sporting Group last year. Spreadex and Sporting Index both provide sports fixed odds betting and sports [...]