The Competition Council has identified issues related to the acquisition of La Cocoș stores by the Schwarz group, the owner of Lidl and Kaufland.

The Competition Council has expressed concerns regarding the transaction through which the Schwarz group, operator of the Kaufland and Lidl networks, intends to acquire the La Cocoș stores. The analysis revealed issues in the retail market and in the procurement of food products, considering that the Schwarz group is already present in the local markets where La Cocoș operates.

This acquisition could strengthen the group's position and reduce options for consumers, and suppliers could be affected, given that some of them depend on La Cocoș for up to 90% of their turnover. The President of the Competition Council, Bogdan Chirițoiu, emphasized that La Cocoș's business model, based on low prices, could be altered, which could lead to price increases. The Schwarz group has the option to propose commitments to address these concerns, which will be evaluated by the competition authority.