Just Eat acquisition of Hungyhouse gets provisional approval from competition watchdog

The two app-based food ordering services agreed on the tie-up in December last year

Both companies welcomed the decision (Getty)

The competition watchdog has given its provisional seal of approval to Just Eat’s £200m takeover of Hungryhouse.

The two app-based food ordering services agreed on the tie-up in December last year.

On Thursday, the Competition and Markets Authority said that it had decided that the deal does not raise competition concerns.

“The group found that Hungryhouse presently provides limited competition to Just Eat because it is much smaller in size and offers too few unique restaurants, making it increasingly difficult for Hungryhouse to attract and retain consumers,” it said.

“Furthermore, it found that the industry is evolving rapidly following the entry of platforms, such as Deliveroo, UberEATS and Amazon, which also manage or facilitate delivery services on behalf of restaurants. These companies generally present a greater competitive challenge to Just Eat than Hungryhouse, and this is likely to grow as they expand,” it added.

The CMA said that it was now asking for views on these provisional findings and that it would assess all the evidence before making a final decision.

Both companies welcomed the decision.

“We look forward to continuing to deploy our technology and expertise to help more independent restaurants develop and grow their businesses, while offering an even better service to consumers,” London-headquartered Just Eat, which is listed on the FTSE 250 stock index, said.

Delivery Hero, the German company that currently owns Hungryhouse, in a separate brief statement also said that it welcomed the CMA’s decision.

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