14 Jun 2010 11:00
Invitation to comment
Arrangements under which Carpetright plc has entered into leases for four former Allied Carpets stores
The Office of Fair Trading is considering whether it is or may be the case that a relevant merger situation has been created for the purpose of the Enterprise Act 2002. More specifically, the OFT is investigating whether any of the arrangements under which Carpetright has entered into leases for the former Allied Carpets stores in Grantham, Solihull, Chester and Cheltenham amount to a relevant merger situation and if so whether that situation may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services that warrants reference to the Competition Commission for investigation and report.[1]
Affected sector: carpet retail
Please send written representations about any competition or public interest issues to:
Sophia Stephanou
Office of Fair Trading
Fleetbank House
2-6 Salisbury Square
London EC4Y 8JX
Email: sophia.stephanou@oft.gsi.gov.uk
Fax: 020 7211 8916
to arrive by 25 June 2010.
[1] If any of these arrangements gives rise to a relevant merger situation, this could (by virtue of section 27(5) of the Enterprise Act 2002) extend the OFT's jurisdiction to also examine previous acquisitions by Carpetright of Allied Carpets stores. The OFT understands that the acquisition of these stores could be said to be made under successive arrangements or transactions between the same parties or interests and were completed more than four months ago but within the previous two years.