Brussels approves Coca-Cola's acquisition of Costa Coffee.

January 04, 2019

13:13

The European Commission has approved Coca-Cola's purchase of the Costa Coffee chain from the British company Whitbread Plc.

Brussels approved the operation, granting, along with its Chinese counterpart, the necessary approval for the completion of the deal. " The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition did not raise competition concerns, since these companies do not sell the same products and the links between their activities are limited ," it stated in a press release.

Costa Coffee was sold in August for €4,3 billion. The deal with Coca-Cola covers 3.800 coffee shops in 32 countries.

El Corte Inglés is celebrating 25 years in Portugal with the launch of a commemorative collection developed in partnership with national brands and an advertising campaign featuring 66 employees. These initiatives precede the anniversary of the opening of the brand's first department stores in the country, on November 23, 2001, which also marked the beginning of the Spanish group's international expansion.

Read Article

Lidl dedicates new edition of the Unbeatable Team to school lunches.

Lidl Portugal has launched the 15th edition of the Unbeatable Class, an educational program that, in the 2026/2027 school year, focuses on promoting more balanced and sustainable school lunches. Under the concept of "Planetary Lunch," the initiative is open for registration to primary schools across the country and includes visits to 50 educational establishments, interactive theater, and, for the first time, a competition aimed at parent associations.

Read Article

Mercadona invests over 11 million euros in a new store in Maia.

Mercadona opened a new supermarket in Pedrouços, in the municipality of Maia, this Thursday, November 5th, representing an investment of over 11 million euros. The opening created 64 permanent jobs and brings the number of the chain's stores in the Porto district to 28.

Read Article

Consumer credit in Portugal grew 9,5% in September, but the pace slowed.

Consumer credit granted by Portuguese banks grew 9,5% year-on-year in September, down from 9,7% in August, according to the Bank of Portugal. The total amount of bank loans to individuals continued to increase, while household deposits decreased by approximately one billion euros compared to the previous month.

Read Article

Eurobarometer: 72% of Europeans feel poorly informed about innovative foods.

Almost three-quarters of Europeans believe they lack sufficient information about foods and ingredients developed using innovative techniques, reveals a new Eurobarometer from the European Commission. Although 68% recognize the potential of these technologies to address food production challenges, 51% have a negative opinion of innovative products.

Read Article

UK prevents Aldi and Lidl from blocking the opening of competing supermarkets.

The British competition authority has decided to subject Aldi and Lidl to the same rules applicable to other major food operators regarding the use of land and commercial properties. This measure prevents the two chains from introducing prohibited contractual clauses that would hinder the opening of competing supermarkets near their establishments.

Read Article