Category: Global Blogs

Shopper docket undertakings (Australian Competition Law and Policy Discussion)

The ACCC has accepted s 87B undertakings from Coles and Woolworths to ‘cease making fuel saving offers which are wholly or partially funded by any part of their business other than their fuel retailing business’ and to ‘limit fuel discounts which are linked to supermarket purchase to a maximum of …read more

TalkTalk v Ofcom – the Court of Appeal stresses that market definition is a tool not an end (Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers)

The Court of Appeal, in TalkTalk v Ofcom [2013] EWCA Civ 1318, recently gave an important reminder to all competition practitioners that market definitions are a tool rather than an end: what matters is substance not form.

The facts of the case were relatively simple. Ofcom conducted …read more

Does Every Little Supermarket Price Guarantee Help? (ESRC Centre for Competition Policy)

(by Morten Hviid) Last week, Asda’s marketing chief was reported as saying: “It is strange to me that our competitors are touting how much they match prices and are working towards parity. I find it almost anti-competitive that large competitors are talking about and proud to be matching each other’s …read more

A Simple Way to Boost Competition in the Energy Market (ESRC Centre for Competition Policy)

(by Andreas Stephan) The latest round of increases in energy prices has sparked an angry debate about how well competition is working in the UK market. Energy companies claim increases reflect rising wholesale prices and government levies, while politicians are making allegations of collusion. A long term view of how …read more