Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11244 – JD SPORTS / MARKETING INVESTMENT GROUP) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2023-11-28
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: clothing, economic concentration, electronic commerce, merger control, retail selling, sports equipment, sports facilities, wholesale selling








C_202301251EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2023/1251


28.11.2023






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11244 – JD SPORTS / MARKETING INVESTMENT GROUP)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2023/1251)


1.   
On 17 November 2023, 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 Sports’, United Kingdom), ultimately controlled by Pentland Group Holdings Limited (‘Pentland’, Jersey),










—


Marketing Investment Group Spółka Akcyjna (‘MIG’, Poland), currently jointly controlled by JD Sports and four Polish-law family trusts incorporated by the founders of MIG.




JD Sports will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control of the whole of MIG.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






—


JD Sports is a sports goods, outdoors and fashionwear online and offline retailer, and wholesaler with a portfolio of own and third party fascia. JD Sports also operates fitness centres in a number of countries,










—


MIG is active in the retail supply of sports goods, both online and instore, as well as having a limited wholesale supply of sports goods.






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.
Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified treatment for certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


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.11244 – JD SPORTS / MARKETING INVESTMENT GROUP
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu
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’).

(2)  
            OJ C 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/1251/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)