Just Eat-Takeaway merger in doubt

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority have launched a last minute review into Takeaway.com and Just Eat’s £6bn merger, throwing one of the UK’s biggest tech deals in recent years into doubt.

 The probe follows a months-long review of Amazon’s planned minority stake in Deliveroo, Just Eat’s biggest rival . Both cases are investigated on the basis if the deals would prevent a large new entrant from joining the UK’s vibrant food delivery market.

 The Netherlands based Takeaway said the CMA was unexpectedly assessing whether it would have entered the UK market without the Just Eat deal.

 Under the CMA rules Just Eat and Takeaway could still close their deal during the investigation. But the two companies are expected face an enforcement order that will stop them from being integrated while under review.

 Takeaway was set to rename the company entity Just Eat Takeaway.com today, and trading the new stock had been expected to begin on Monday.

Takeaway shut down its online food ordering service in the UK in August 2016 after struggling to compete with Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo. It has since become one of Europe’s largest operators, processing tens of millions of orders a year.