Sports Direct cleared to acquire JJB stores
The Competition Commission (CC) has formally cleared the Sports Direct’s acquisition of 31 stores from JJB Sports.
In its final report, the CC ruled that it does not expect the acquisition to lead to a substantial lessening of competition or any adverse effects for customers.
Chairman of the inquiry group and CC deputy chairman, Diana Guy commented: “We do not believe there will be higher prices or a reduction in quality and choice for consumers as a result of these store acquisitions. Sports Direct and JJB are undoubtedly each other’s closest competitors nationally and this has not changed as a result of the transfer of a relatively small number of stores.
“What we have found is that the prices and range on offer in any individual Sports Direct store are not significantly affected by whether there is a nearby JJB store or not but, rather, depend on the degree of overall competition between the two retailers at the national level.”
