The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened the first stage of an investigation into the planned acquisition of UK-based soft drinks maker Britvic by Danish brewer Carlsberg.
Announced in July, the £3.3bn deal was approved by Britvic’s shareholders last month.
Carlsberg intends to create a single integrated beverage company in the UK, to be named Carlsberg Britvic.
Britvic’s brands include Robinsons, J20, Fruit Shoot, Tango and R White’s lemonade. It also holds an exclusive licence with PepsiCo to make and sell brands such as Pepsi, 7UP and Lipton Ice Tea in the UK.
Carlsberg is expanding beyond its core beer market and into products such as soft drinks, cider and alcohol-free beer as part of its Beyond Beer strategy, launched in 2022.
In the UK the market for non-alcoholic drinks is growing, driven particularly by younger generations.
The CMA said that it was considering the potential impact of the acquisition on competition in the UK. It has invited comments on the transaction from any interested party, ahead of a formal investigation.
