CMA gives all clear to Booker buy out of Londis and Budgens

The Competition & Markets Authority has given Booker Group the go-ahead to acquire Musgrave Retail Partners, which comprises Londis and Budgens.

Completion of the acquisition is expected to occur on or before September 14.

Charles Wilson, Booker Group chief executive, said: “This will help strengthen our support for independent retailers throughout Great Britain.”

The wholesaler announced back in May that it intended to buy Musgrave for £40m, taking on 1,630 Londis stores and 167 shops operating under the Budgens fascia.

Retailers took to Twitter to show their support for the deal.

Read: Booker reassures retailers after £40m Musgrave deal

Booker also released its September trading update today for the 10 weeks to August 28. It reported that like-for-like sales of non-tobacco products rose 0.5%, while tobacco sales have been depressed by the introduction of the tobacco display ban in small stores in April.