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,  23.04.2020  
C(2020)  2687 final  
PUBLIC VERSION 
To the notifying parties  
Subject : Case M.9791 – SIGNA RETAIL / CENTRAL GROUP / GLOBUS  
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 16 March 2020, the European Commission received notification of a proposed 
concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger  Regulation by which the 
undertakings SIGNA Retail Selection AG and SIGNA Prime Selection AG (“Signa 
Group”, Switzerland, Austria), belonging to the group SIGNA Holding GmbH, 
ultimately controlled by Familie Benko Privatstiftung , on the one hand, and  Harng 
Central Department Store Ltd. ( “Central Gr oup” , Thailand), ultimately contr olled by 
the Chirathivat family , on the other hand,  acquir e within the meaning of 
Article  3(1)(b)  and 3(4)  of the Merger Regulation joint control over the whole of 
Magazine zum Globus  AG (“Globus ”, Switzerland).  The concent ration is 
accomplished by way of purchase of shares and assets .3 
2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:  
− for Signa Group:  retailing, including through various department stores in 
Germany (“GALERIA Karstadt Kau fhof”) and Belgium and furniture stores in 
Austria, as well as real estate primarily in Austria and Germany . 
− for Central Group:  merchandising, real estate, retailing, hospitality and restaurants 
primarily in Southeast Asia and retailing in Italy, Denmark and Germany through 
the premium department stores of The KaDeWe Group. 
− for Globus: operating department and other (fashion) stores across Switzerland. 
                                                 
1 OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 ( the ‘Merger Regulation ’). With effe ct 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 ’). 
3  Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 100, 27.3.2020,  p. 15. 

2 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(a) 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  
                                                 
4  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.