Green light to Coop-Szolnok for the acquisition of Héliker
The Hungarian Competition Authority granted authorisation for Coop Szolnok to acquire control over Héliker.
On 5 March 2009 Coop Szolnok Zrt. concluded a contract with Héliker Zrt. to buy 100% of the shares of the latter.
The main profile of Coop Szolnok Zrt. is food retail in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Csongrád, Békés, Heves, Pest and Fejér counties. Its share does not reach 1% on the Hungarian food retail market. The main profile of Héliker Zrt. is also food retail in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Heves, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg and Hajdú-Bihar counties. Héliker Zrt. possesses less than 1% from the Hungarian food retail turnover. Coop Szolnok Zrt. operates retail shops in 54 while Héliker Zrt. in 12 settlements. There are three towns where both undertakings are present: Szolnok, Gyöngyös és Hatvan.
According to the Competition Act, the GVH may not refuse to grant authorisation for a concentration where the concentration does not create or strengthen a dominant position, which would impede the formation, development or continuation of effective competition on the relevant market. Since the aggregate market share of the undertakings concerned on the Hungarian market of food retail is 2%, according to the standpoint of the GVH, the concentration does not raise any competition concerns. In theory in the towns where both of them are present, competition concerns could arise over the concentration. However since a great number of competitors operate in these towns, the new undertaking as a result of the concentration cannot get into a dominant position. Thus the GVH cleared the concentration.
Case number: Vj-41/2009.
Budapest, 23 June 2009
Hungarian Competition Authority
Communication Group
Further information:
András Mihálovits
Hungarian Competition Authority
Address: 1054 Budapest, V., Alkotmány u.5.
Postal address: 1245 Budapest, 5. POB. 1036
email:
Mihalovits.Andras@gvh.hu
http://www.gvh.hu