Abstract
Consolidation, market saturation, strong price competition and low prices are key characteristics of the German food retail market. The sector is dominated by four large retail groups. According to the Federal Cartel Office (the “FCO”), the combined market share of these undertakings amounts to roughly 85 % of the food retail market. The major chains face low margins due to fierce price competition in the sector. Specific to the German market is the success of discounters with an overall market share of approx. 40 %. In recent years, there has been a trend in consumer preference towards smaller grocery formats, including convenience stores, small grocery retailers and independents. A further feature of Germany’s food-retailing industry is the relative absence of foreign retail groups.
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Notes
- 1.
FCJ (BGH), judgment of 06 November 2012, KZR 13/12, available at http://juris.bundesgerichtshof.de/cgi-bin/rechtsprechung/document.py?Gericht=bgh&Art=en&sid=a64ed0b973af83b49a783150f16d33f7&nr=62438&pos=0&anz=1.
- 2.
FCO, decision of 20 August 2012, case B 5-20/10, available at http://www.bundeskartellamt.de/SharedDocs/Entscheidung/DE/Fallberichte/Kartellverbot/2012/B5-20-10.html.
- 3.
M. Dreher and J. Körner, Germany. In: P. Këllezi, B. Kilpatrick, P. Kobel (eds), Antitrust for Small and Middle Size Undertakings and Image Protection from Non-Competitors, LIDC Contributions on Antitrust Law, Intellectual Property and Unfair Competition, Springer 2014, p. 134 ff.
- 4.
OLG Düsseldorf, judgment of 12 November 2009, case VI-2 Kart 9/08 OWi, 2 Kart 9/08 OWi, http://www.justiz.nrw.de/nrwe/olgs/duesseldorf/j2009/VI_2_Kart_9_08_OWiurteil20091112.html.
- 5.
FCO, press release of 24 July 2013, http://www.bundeskartellamt.de/SharedDocs/Meldung/EN/Pressemitteilungen/2013/24_07_2013_Edeka.html?nn=3591568.
- 6.
BGH, judgment of 25 June 1985, WuW/E BGH, 2150, 2153 “Edelstahlbestecke”.
- 7.
FCO, decision of 30 June 2008, B2-333/07, http://www.bundeskartellamt.de/wDeutsch/download/pdf/Fusion/Fusion08/B2-333-07_Internet.pdf “EDEKA/Tengelmann”.
- 8.
FCO, decision of 30 June 2008, B2-333/07, http://www.bundeskartellamt.de/wDeutsch/download/pdf/Fusion/Fusion08/B2-333-07_Internet.pdf, “EDEKA/Tengelmann”, p. 32 seq.; OLG Düsseldorf, judgment of 19 December 2001, WuW/E DE-R 781, 786 “Wal-Mart”; FCJ, judgment of 12 November 2002, WuW/E DE-R 1042, 1043 “Wal-Mart”.
- 9.
FCO, decision of 30 June 2008, B2-333/07, http://www.bundeskartellamt.de/wDeutsch/download/pdf/Fusion/Fusion08/B2-333-07_Internet.pdf “EDEKA/Tengelmann”.
- 10.
FCO, decision of 30 June 2008, B2-333/07, http://www.bundeskartellamt.de/wDeutsch/download/pdf/Fusion/Fusion08/B2-333-07_Internet.pdf “EDEKA/Tengelmann”.
- 11.
FCO, Practice Report 2009/2010, 69, http://www.bundeskartellamt.de/wDeutsch/download/pdf/Taetigkeitsbericht/TB_2009_2010.pdf.
- 12.
FCO, decision of 30 June 2008, B2-333/07, http://www.bundeskartellamt.de/wDeutsch/download/pdf/Fusion/Fusion08/B2-333-07_Internet.pdf “EDEKA/Tengelmann”, and FCO, decision of 28 October 2010, B2-52/10, http://www.bundeskartellamt.de/wDeutsch/download/pdf/Fusion/Fusion10/B02-052-10.pdf, “Edeka/Trinkgut”.
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Hartmann-Rüppel, M. (2015). Germany. In: Kobel, P., Këllezi, P., Kilpatrick, B. (eds) Antitrust in the Groceries Sector & Liability Issues in Relation to Corporate Social Responsibility. LIDC Contributions on Antitrust Law, Intellectual Property and Unfair Competition. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45753-5_10
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