Flash Report 5 minutesRegister for Free AccessUK Competition Authority Blocks Sainsbury’s-Asda Merger Coresight Research April 26, 2019 Executive SummaryOn April 25, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the planned merger of Sainsbury’s and Asda. Sainsbury’s is likely to be under pressure to outline a new way forward that includes a plan to improve performance. Sainsbury’s has been the weakest performing of the major grocery retailers. The merger would have created a highly concentrated UK grocery market, with two companies holding an aggregate share of nearly 60%. The CMA concluded that the merger would result in “price rises, reductions in the quality and range of products available, or a poorer overall shopping experience.” Please Login to read the full report. Not a member? To access this content for free, register for a free account. This document was generated for Other research you may be interested in: Department Stores in Focus; Plus, Consumer Sentiment Latest: US Consumer Survey InsightsRetail 2025 Sector Outlooks: EbookWeekly UK Store Openings and Closures Tracker 2025, Week 13: Kingfisher Announces Store Expansion Plans; Whole Foods Opens New London StoreEconomic Confidence Climbs; Financial Optimism Turns Positive: Weekly US Consumer Sentiment, Week 23, 2025—Infographic