The Consiliul Concurenței has conditionally approved the acquisition of Supermarket La Cocoș SA by the Schwarz Group, acting through Project Brazil Beta GmbH, following an in-depth investigation into the transaction’s potential impact on Romania’s food retail market.
“This is only the second case in the authority’s history in which we have opened a full investigation during the review of an economic concentration,” said Bogdan Chirițoiu, President of the Competition Council, underlining the significance of the deal. He stressed that the clearance was made subject to “clear commitments designed to protect competition and consumer interests.”
In Romania, the Schwarz Group operates primarily through Kaufland and Lidl. The authority examined whether the transaction could affect pricing, market structure and the commercial model of La Cocoș, a retailer known for its low margins and high-volume sales strategy.
To address these concerns, the Schwarz Group committed to maintaining La Cocoș’s current pricing policy for four years, without exceeding the existing reference gross margin. The group also pledged not to close or limit the network’s operations for five years and to preserve the store format and brand identity.
Additionally, Schwarz undertook to expand the La Cocoș network nationally within five years, increasing consumer access to its low-price model and reinforcing competitive pressure, particularly on prices. The company will keep La Cocoș operationally and structurally separate from Kaufland and Lidl in Romania for five years to safeguard its commercial independence.
Further safeguards include refraining from sub-threshold acquisitions in food retail and informing the authority about new store openings or commercial space acquisitions. The group also committed to protecting La Cocoș’s exclusive suppliers for two years, maintaining existing commercial relationships.
The decision will be published on the authority’s website after the removal of confidential information.