Acquirer(s)
- Complete Office Supplies Pty Ltd
Target(s)
- OfficeMax Australia
Market definition
The ACCC did not reach concluded views on market definition, but its review focussed on the supply of traditional office products to large commercial and government customers in Australia.Competition analysis
The ACCC concluded that the proposed acquisition was unlikely to substantially lessen competition in any relevant market.While the acquisition will reduce the number of credible suppliers to large customers, the ACCC considered that the merged entity would be constrained by Winc (formerly Staples), which will remain the market leader by some margin.
The proposed acquisition combines the second and third largest suppliers of traditional office products to large customers. This may create a stronger counterweight to Winc. In addition, Lyreco, although to a lesser extent, is also likely to provide a degree of competitive constraint on the merged entity.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
ACCC commenced review under the Merger Process Guidelines. |
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Closing date for submissions from interested parties. |
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ACCC requested additional information from Complete Office Supplies. Former proposed decision date of 14 September 2017 delayed to allow Complete Office Supplies to provide further information. |
|
ACCC received further information from Complete Office Supplies. |
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ACCC announced it would not oppose the proposed acquisition. |