Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.8710 — JD/Sonae MC/Balaiko/JDSH/Sport Zone) (Text with EEA relevance. )
Date: 2017-12-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: clothing industry, economic concentration, foodstuff, goods and services, investment company, merger control, retail trade, sports equipment, sports facilities, wholesale trade








C_2017429EN.01003001.xml










14.12.2017   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 429/30





Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.8710 — JD/Sonae MC/Balaiko/JDSH/Sport Zone)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2017/C 429/14)






1.


On 5 December 2017 the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


JD Sports Fashion PLc (JD) (England and Wales), controlled by Pentland Group, a privately held British company,










—


Sonae MC — Modelo e Continente, SGPS, S.A. (Sonae MC) (Portugal), indirectly controlled by Efanor Investimentos SGPS, SA,










—


Balaiko Firaja Invest, S. L (Balaiko) (Spain), wholly owned by Serraga family,










—


JD Sprinter Holdings 2010, SL (JDSH) (Spain), controlled by JD and Balaiko,










—


SDSR — Sports Division SR, S.A. (Sport Zone) (Portugal), belonging to the Sonae MC group.




JD, Sonae MC and Balaiko acquire(s) within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and Article 3(4) of the Merger Regulation control of the whole of JDSH and Sport Zone.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.










2.


The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
—   JD: retail of sports apparel and footwear; operation of fitness centres in the United Kingdom. JD is controlled by Pentland Group, which is active in the wholesale supply of branded outdoor products to outdoor retailers.
—   Sonae MC: retail and wholesale trade in food and non-food products and management of related real estate assets.
—   Balaiko: investment vehicle company.
—   JDSH: retail trade in sports goods in Portugal and Spain under the banner brands JD, ‘size?’ and Sprinter.
—   SPZ: retail trade in sports goods in Portugal and Spain under the banner brand Sport Zone.










3.


On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.










4.


The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.8710 — JD/Sonae MC/Balaiko/JDSH/Sport Zone
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:





E-mail:




COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu




Fax:




+32 22964301




Postal address:




European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË










(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).