The Competition & Markets Authority has pulled back from an in-depth investigation into forecourt operator MRH GB’s acquisition of 78 Esso service stations.
MRH, which has 453 company-owned sites, was told last November that the deal, announced last March, raised monopoly concerns in Cambridge and Brighton.
It has given an undertaking to sell either the MRH Girton or the Esso City site in Cambridge, and the Esso Patcham site in Brighton, as well as related assets for these sites, including grocery outlets.
The CMA said this week it was accepting these undertakings, negating the need for an in-depth investigation.
“We are happy the CMA has chosen to accept the undertakings we’ve offered,” said MRH company secretary David Hathaway.
He added that MRH was an acquisitive, growing organisation and always explored opportunities to buy new sites.
Most of MRH’s service stations are branded Esso, BP, Torq, Texaco and Jet and it has stores on every site, including 174 branded Hurst and 74 branded Spar.
It is working to expand its fast food offer with Subway and Costa Coffee.
MRH acquired the operations of Kuwait Petroleum in 2004. Large acquisitions from Texaco, BP and Esso followed.
The company, which tops The Grocer’s annual ranking of the UK’s Top 50 independent retailers, saw pre-tax profit climb 27% from £25.6m to £32.6m in the year ended 28 September 2014 according to the latest accounts filed at Companies House.
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