Morrisons Held Merger Talks with Supermarket Rival - Here's What We Know so Far
The talks were preliminary and ended in February as Sainsbury’s and Morrisons faced pressure from Aldi and Lidl, with Sainsbury’s holding a 15.2% market share.
- Sainsbury held early-stage merger talks with Bradford-based Morrisons between November 2025 and February, according to Financial Times reporting, though the supermarket chain walked away from negotiations.
- Morrisons has been attempting a turnaround following its 2021 private equity takeover by Clayton Dubilier and Rice, which left the grocer burdened with £7.52 billion in debt.
- Competition remains intense as discounters Aldi and Lidl expand, with latest data showing Tesco leads at 28.1% market share, while Sainsbury holds 15.2% and Morrisons accounts for 8.4%.
- Any potential tie-up would face scrutiny from the Competition and Markets Authority, as Britain's 2019 regulatory block on Sainsbury's proposed £7.3 billion takeover of Asda demonstrates precedent.
- Spokespeople for both companies declined to comment on the reported contact. The news has reignited consolidation speculation, while investors await Sainsbury's half-year update on October 8.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The Independent
The Independent (US)Sainsbury's in merger talks with supermarket giant rival
The last attempt at a merger on that scale saw Sainsbury's launch a £7 billion bid for Asda
UK grocer Sainsbury’s held merger talks with rival Morrisons, reports say - Regional Media News
Oct 5 (Reuters) - Sainsbury's, Britain's second-largest grocer, held talks with smaller rival Morrisons about a merger earlier this year, according to media reports on Monday. • The companies were considering a potential multibillion-pound deal before Sainsbury's walked away, an FT report said, citing people [...]
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons held talks over blockbuster merger
Sainsbury’s walked away from talks over a merger with smaller rival Morrisons earlier this year, shelving what would have been the biggest shake-up of the UK’s grocery market in decades. The UK’s second-largest supermarket chain held preliminary talks with its private-equity-owned rival over a merger of the two firms between November 2025 and February this [...]
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