Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Builders merchant group Travis Perkins will be allowed to retain its Walsall store after the Office of Fair Trading ruled that competition in the area was sufficiently robust.
Travis Perkins was given the go-ahead to purchase rival plumbers merchant chain BSS in December, provided it sold off 20 BSS and PTS stores in areas where the OFT decided that the move would limit competition.
However, the OFT has decided that, given the proximity of a Graham plumbers merchant to the PTS branch in Walsall, that competition in the area would be sufficient to allow Travis Perkins to retain it.
Travis Perkins paid £580m for BSS, propelling it ahead of former market leader Wolseley, with between 20% and 25% of the market.
