Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE  
Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel,   BELGIË  
 
Tel: +32 229 -91111. Fax: +32 229 -64301. E -mail: COMP -MERGER -REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu . 
  EUROPEAN COMMISSION  
Brussels, 12.4.2022  
C(2022 ) 2477 final  
PUBLIC VERSION  
Harng Central Department Store 
Limited  
14th floor, Central Chidlom Tower,  
22 Soi Somkid Ploenchit  Road   
10330  Lumpini, Pathumwan Bangkok  
Thailand  
 
SIGNA Holding GmbH  
Maria -Theresien Straße 31  
6020 Innsbruck  
Austria  
 
SIGNA  Retail Selection AG  
Bärengasse 29   
8001 Zürich  
Switzerland  
Subject : Case M. 10642 – CENTRAL / SIGNA / SELFRIDGES  
Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation 
(EC) No 139/20041 and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European 
Economic Area2  
Dear Sir or Madam,  
1. On 21 March 2022 , the European Commission received notification of a proposed 
concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger  Regulation by which Harng Central 
Department Store Limited (‘Central’, Thailand) , on one hand,  and SIGNA Holding 
GmbH ( Austria) and SIGNA Retail Selection AG (Switzerland), together ‘SIGNA’, 
on the other hand, will acquire within the mean ing of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger 
Regulation  joint control o ver SFP Holdings Limited, Selfridges Manchester Limited 
and SHEL Holdings  Europe Limited (together ‘Selfridges’, UK), controlled by 
                                                 
1 OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 ( the ‘Merger Regulation ’). With effect from 1 December 2009,  the Treaty on 
the Functioning of the European Union ( ‘TFEU ’) has introduced certain changes, such as the 
replacement of ‘Community ’ by ‘Union ’ and ‘common market ’ by ‘internal market ’. The terminology 
of the TFEU will be used throughout this decision.  
2  OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p.  3 (the ‘EEA Agreement ’). 

2 Selfridges Group Limited (Canada). The concentration is accomplished by way of  
purchase of  shares .3 
2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned  are the following : 
 Central:  is active worldwide in real estate, retailing, hospitality and restaurants 
primarily in Southeast Asia. In the EU, Central is active in the retail sector in Italy 
with the banner ‘la Rinascente’, in  Germany with the banner ‘The KaDeWe 
Group’ and in Denmark with the banner ‘Illum’. It also conducts property 
development activities in Germany, Denmark and Italy,  
 SIGNA : is primarily active in two business areas: retail trade and real estate. In 
retail tr ade, it operates a chain of  mainly  non-food products stores in Germany 
(‘GALERIA’) and in Belgium (‘INNO’). It also owns specialised brick and 
mortar shops of sporting goods, as well as a number of online shops with the 
banners ‘SportScheck’ and ‘SIGNA Spo rts United Group’. Further, it operates 
furniture stores in Austria, as well as two online furniture shops (‘kika’ and 
‘Leiner’). In real estate, SIGNA focuses on purchase, rent, lease and management 
of land and buildings as well as project development. It  owns real estate 
properties primarily in Austria, Germany, Northern Italy and Switzerland. It also 
operates luxury hotels in Austria and Italy , 
 Selfridges: is primarily  active in the retail of mainly non-food products including 
beauty products, womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, footwear, accessories 
and homewares. Selfridges’s retail business comprises three separate operating 
banners: ‘Selfridges ’, ‘De Bijenkorf ’ and ‘Brown Thomas and Arnotts ’ with 
stores located in the UK, Ireland and The Netherlands , associated digital 
platforms , and real estate holdings in the UK and Ireland . 
3. After examination of the notification, the European Commission has concluded that 
the notified operation falls within the scope of the Merger  Regulation  and of 
paragraph 5(c) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of 
certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 .4 
4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the  European 
Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it 
compatible with the internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is 
adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger  Regulation  and Article 57 of 
the EEA Agreement . 
For the Commission  
 
 
(Signed)  
Olivier GUERSENT  
Director -General  
                                                 
3  Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 139, 29.3.2022 , p. 8. 
4  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5 .