Edeka approved to acquire 178 Tegut supermarket locations

The German Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) has approved Edeka's acquisition of 178 Tegut supermarket locations. To prevent negative impacts on regional competition, the regulator required Edeka to reduce its initial plan by 24 stores.

Despite the approval, the Monopolkommission has expressed concerns regarding market concentration. Tomaso Duso, president of the Monopolkommission, warned that the disappearance of Tegut as an independent retailer could disadvantage consumers and suppliers. He noted that the 'big four' retailers—Edeka, Rewe, Aldi, and the Schwarz Group—already control over 90 percent of the German food retail market, potentially leading to price increases or abuses of bargaining power against suppliers.

Edeka has rejected these criticisms, stating that the Bundeskartellamt conducted a rigorous review of every regional market to ensure competition remains unaffected. A spokesperson for Edeka emphasized that the acquisition secures approximately 3,700 jobs and maintains local supply chains.