Edeka to purchase 44 Real stores

The break-up of retailer Real continues, with Edeka set to complete the takeover of 44 Real stores, according to Lebensmittel Zeitung. Edeka is also in negotiations to acquire a further 28 stores in the future. In the meantime, Germany’s Federal Cartel Office, the Bundeskartellamt, has ruled that allowing Edeka to acquire the 28 stores would create significant competition concerns.

Since announcing the sale of its Real banner to the SCP Group in June 2020, Kaufland has acquired 92 stores, while Globus has gained a further 24, with negotiations on-going for the rest. In an attempt to maintain competition, especially at a local level, the Bundeskartellamt is requiring SCP to sell some of the Real stores to medium-sized retailers.