Defining Product Markets in the UK Grocery Industry

On April 30, 2008, the UK Competition Commission published the final report of its two year investigation into the supply of groceries in the UK. This article gives a UK perspective on some of the issues covered in the recent <em>Whole Foods</em> decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. It draws out the key market definition findings in the CC’s investigation, with a particular focus on the CC’s decisions and analysis with respect to those grocery retailers offering a somewhat differentiated product from the UK’s mainstream grocery retailers.