Trouble in store? French watchdog to cast an eye over Tesco partner plans

The French competition watchdog has launched an investigationintothestrategic tie-up between Tesco and Carrefour. The Autorite de la Concurrence said it was looking into the competitive impact of the purchasing agreement to assessitseffectonthefoodsector, both for suppliers and consumers. Tesco and Carrefour have embarked on a partnership to jointly buy own-brand products and other items over a three-year period in a bid to negotiate better deals with suppliers. The watchdog is investigating similar alliances.