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Germany: Competition regulator blocks Edeka’s bid for Kaiser’s

By  |  April 1, 2015

Germany’s competition watchdog has decided to prohibit a plan by the country’s biggest supermarket group Edeka to buy grocery chain Kaiser’s, despite concessions it made, it said on Wednesday.

Retail group Tengelmann, which also owns home improvement chain OBI and discount fashion group KiK, said in October it would sell Kaiser’s to Edeka. Kaiser’s has 451 stores, around 16,000 employees and turnover of 1.8 billion euros.

Andreas Mundt, who heads the competition watchdog, said the takeover would further limit competition in big cities like Berlin and Munich, giving Edeka a market share of more than 10 percent in some places, potentially leading to price rises.

 

Full Content: FruitNet

 

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