The Austrian Competition Authorities have approved SPAR’s acquisition of 23 UNIMARKT stores in Austria following a detailed local competitive assessment. The approval enables SPAR Austria to integrate a large number of former UNIMARKT franchisees into its network of independent retailers, ensuring job security for employees and maintaining local grocery supply.

The transaction required an in-depth analysis of competition in the affected local grocery retail markets. E.CA Economics supported SPAR and CERHA HEMPEL by defining the relevant local markets, calculating market shares and assessing the competitive impact of the take-over in the respective markets. We also presented the economic arguments before the competition authorities.

A big thank you to the E.CA team consisting of Simone Kohnz, Juri Demuth, Raphaël Poncet, Luca Rancati, Giulia Santosuosso and Carina Weber.