CMA Gives Green Light to £6.2bn Just Eat and Takeaway.com Merger
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has approved the £6.2 billion merger between UK giant Just Eat and international food delivery firm Takeaway.com. While Just Eat dominates the UK market, Takeaway.com operates in 11 countries but hasn’t been in the UK since 2016.
Could Takeaway.com Have Made a UK Comeback?
Both delivery giants link millions of customers to hundreds of takeaway spots. The CMA considered if Takeaway.com might have re-entered the UK and shaken up the market – potentially giving customers more choice and better deals – had the merger not gone through.
But after poring over reams of internal documents, the CMA concluded there’s little chance Takeaway.com would have launched back into the UK anytime soon.
Competition Concerns Scrutinised and Quashed
Colin Raftery, CMA’s Senior Director of Mergers, said: “We are satisfied there are no competition concerns. Millions in the UK use online food platforms, and where mergers could harm competition, we investigate rigorously.”
“We examined if Takeaway.com could have returned to the UK market and given people more choice. Having gathered further evidence, clearing this deal is the right call.”
CMA Delivers Swift Decision Amidst Covid-19
During the pandemic, the CMA has been flexible with businesses facing delays but aims to keep investigations swift to avoid uncertainty. In this case, the CMA wrapped up its final decision 26 days before the official deadline.
