The competition watchdog has raised fears that the £6.8bn takeover of Asda could lead to higher petrol prices in some parts of the country.
The Competition and Markets Authority, which has the power to block the deal as it did when Sainsbury’s moved to merge with the chain in 2019, has been reviewing the sale by Walmart to a consortium led by the billionaire Issa brothers since December last year.
The new owners – Mohsin and Zuber Issa and private equity firm TDR Capital – also own EG Group, which operates 395 petrol stations in the UK.
Asda owns 323.
The CMA said it was concerned that the deal would weaken competition in relation to the supply of road fuel in 36 areas of the UK – with motorists possibly facing the prospect of higher prices.
This article was originally published by Sky.com. Read the original article here.