UK Competition Regulator Ends Probe of Co-op Group's Southern Co-op Acquisition

07:48 AM EST, 11/05/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The UK's competition watchdog will no longer refer Co-operative Group's completed acquisition of Southern Co-operative to an in-depth, phase 2 investigation. The Competition and Markets Authority said Thursday it accepted undertakings presented by Co-op Group to address concerns relating to the acquisition. Co-op Group previously offered to sell 15 convenience stores and two funeral homes to alleviate the said concerns, which were identified during the watchdog's phase 1 investigation.