The Competition Commission has formally cleared Sports Direct’s acquisition of 31 stores from JJB Sports.
In its final report, the CC has ruled that it does not expect the acquisitions to lead to a substantial lessening of competition, nor any adverse effects for customers.
Diana Guy, chairman of the Inquiry Group and CC deputy chairman, said: “We do not believe there will be higher prices or a reduction in quality and choice for consumers as a result of these store acquisitions.
“Sports Direct and JJB are undoubtedly each other’s closest competitors nationally, and this has not changed as a result of the transfer of a relatively small number of stores.
“What we have found is that the prices and range on offer in any individual Sports Direct store are not significantly affected by whether there is a nearby JJB store or not but, rather, depend on the degree of overall competition between the two retailers at the national level.”
