Acquirer(s)

  • GPC Asia Pacific Pty Ltd

Target(s)

  • Covs Parts

Summary

GPC proposed to acquire the Covs Parts business from AHG. Both Covs Parts and GPC (via its Repco and Ashdown-Ingram stores) supply automotive parts to trade customers in metropolitan and regional Western Australia. Following the ACCC's decision to oppose the proposed acquisition, GPC and AHG modified the proposed acquisition to exclude the Covs Parts stores in Albany, Esperance, Karratha and Port Hedland (the revised proposed acquisition).

After further targeted market inquiries, the ACCC announced that it would not oppose the revised proposed acquisition on 18 February 2016.

Market definition

Please refer to the Public Competition Assessment.

Competition analysis

Please refer to the Public Competition Assessment.

Statement of issues

Public competition assessment

Timeline

Date Event

ACCC commenced review under the Merger Process Guidelines.

Closing date for submissions from interested parties.

Former proposed decision date of 8 October delayed to allow receipt of further information from GPC.

ACCC received further information from GPC. ACCC timeline recommenced.

ACCC published a Statement of Issues outlining preliminary competition concerns.

Closing date for submissions relating to Statement of Issues.

Former proposed decision date of 26 November delayed to allow receipt of further information from AHG.

ACCC received further information from AHG. ACCC timeline recommenced.

Former proposed decision date of 3 December delayed to allow the ACCC further time to consider information provided by the merger parties.

Former proposed decision date of 10 December delayed to allow the ACCC further time to consider further information provided by the merger parties.

ACCC announced it would oppose the proposed acquisition.

GPC and AHG proposed to exclude the Covs Parts stores in Albany, Esperance, Karratha and Port Hedland from the proposed acquisition (revised proposed acquisition). The ACCC conducted further targeted market inquiries.

AHG provided a draft section 87B undertaking to the ACCC regarding the continued operation of the retained stores.

ACCC announced it would not oppose the revised proposed acquisition, subject to the s 87B undertaking accepted by the ACCC.