A Government body has cleared the way for Lincolnshire Co-operative to buy Budgens’ store in Holbeach.
As reported in The Voice last November, Lincolnshire Co-op – which has a supermarket in Long Sutton and a store at a garage in High Road, Whaplode – wants Budgens’ store in Fleet Street.
The proposed acquisition was referred to the Competition and Markets Authority for investigation.
However, the CMA says it “found that the proposed merger will not result in a realistic prospect of a substantial lessening of competition in the retail supply of groceries:
(a) on a national basis, due to Lincolnshire Co-operative Lyd’s minimal national market share and the merger resulting in a minimal increase in this share; and
(b) on a local basis, due to the significant constraints imposed by a Tesco one-stop store (OSS), and survey evidence showing that the parties are not close competitors”.
