Tag: CMA
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UK CMA Scrutinizes ABF’s Plan to Buy Hovis in Kingsmill Owner Takeover
UK Competition Watchdog Opens Deeper Look at ABF’s Hovis Bid The UK competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has intensified its review of Associated British Foods’ (ABF) £75 million plan to acquire Hovis, the well-known sliced bread brand owned by ABF’s Kingsmill business. This move signals heightened scrutiny of how the deal could…
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UK CMA probes Kingsmill owner’s £75m takeover of Hovis in bread market shake-up
Britain’s competition watchdog scrutinises Hovis deal The UK competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has stepped up its review of a £75 million plan that would see the owner of Kingsmill acquire the sliced bread brand Hovis. The proposed takeover, announced by Associated British Foods (ABF) – the conglomerate behind Primark – would…
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Vets Should Publish Prices: CMA Pushes Transparency in Pet Care
What the CMA found: a landscape of rising costs and hidden prices The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued provisional findings on the veterinary sector, warning that prices for pet care have surged well above inflation. In a sector worth about £6.3 billion, the CMA found that vet costs have increased by around 63%…
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CMA Pushes for Price Transparency in Vet Care to Shield Pet Owners
Overview: A push for price transparency in veterinary care The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has urged a shift toward greater price transparency in the UK veterinary sector, arguing that pet owners should be able to see upfront how much treatments will cost. In a report examining soaring vet bills, the CMA warned that patients…
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UK CMA Pushes Vet Price Transparency to Help Pet Owners
UK CMA targets price transparency in veterinary care The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is calling for sweeping changes in Britain’s veterinary sector after an investigation found that pet owners face higher bills and limited choice, especially at chain-owned practices. The watchdog’s provisional findings suggest the £6.3 billion market is not fit for purpose and…
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CMA Pushes Price Transparency in Veterinary Care: Vets Must Publish Upfront Price Lists
Introduction: The CMA’s stance on vet pricing The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has urged the veterinary sector to increase price transparency, arguing that pet owners deserve clearer upfront information about costs. In its provisional findings on the £6.3 billion veterinary market, the CMA highlighted widespread gaps in how prices are communicated, and suggested concrete…
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Vets Could Be Forced to Publish Prices After UK Watchdog Investigation
Introduction: A push for transparency in UK veterinary care The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has signaled a potential overhaul of how veterinary services operate in Britain. After an investigation into claims that chain-owned surgeries reduce consumer choice and inflate bills, the CMA proposed a suite of reforms designed to force greater price transparency and…
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UK CMA grants Google ‘strategic market status’—what it means for UK search
What is Strategic Market Status and why now? The UK’s competition watchdog, the Competition and Market Authority (CMA), has designated Google as holding “strategic market status” (SMS) in the realms of search and search advertising. This rare move places Google in a special regulatory category designed for firms with significant market power. In practical terms,…
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UK watchdog grants Google special status in search, signaling tighter regulation ahead
UK CMA grants Google strategic market status in search The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has designated Google as a company with strategic market status (SMS) in the UK search and search advertising sectors. This is the first time the CMA has applied the designation to a tech firm, and it signals that Google could…
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UK water bills rise: CMA approves limited price increases for five suppliers amid broader regulatory push
Regulator approves modest price rises for five water suppliers Millions in England face higher water bills even as the competition regulator tightens the reins on price demands. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provisionally authorised five water companies to raise charges above what Ofwat had allowed, but rejected most of the companies’ larger increases. The…