J Sainsbury and Asda are “very unlikely” to appeal against the verdict of the UK competition regulator on their proposed merger, according to people briefed on the two companies’ intentions.
The Competition and Markets Authority will publish its final report on Thursday into the £7bn takeover of Asda, the UK’s third-largest supermarket chain, by its larger rival Sainsbury’s. But its initial findings, revealed in February, were so draconian that almost nobody believes the transaction could now proceed.
The two companies issued a robust riposte to those conclusions, accusing the CMA of basic arithmetical errors and significant deviations from past precedents.
