By its unanimous Decision No. 764/2022, the Hellenic Competition Commission (HCC) in plenary, decided to withdraw the commitment of Masoutis, to sale the store in the “Anemomyloi” area of Chora of Andros island, following the relevant Rapporteur’s Opinion. 

According to the Decision, in the local market of Chora of Andros, no barriers to entry were identified. On the contrary, after the approval of the MASOUTIS – PROMITHEFTIKI merger, by virtue of the no. 665/2018 HCC decision, there have been entries of new competitors operating at the local level, thus increasing the intensity of competition. 

Taking into account the exceptional circumstances of the case under consideration and especially the fact of the objective impossibility of implementing, both, the initially undertaken commitment to sell the store in the area of ​​“Ag. Spyridon”, as well as the amended commitment to divest in the store in the “Anemomyloi” area, three years after the HCC’s initial decision to approve the merger, as well as the unfavorable economic situation and uncertainty, to which, among other things, the pandemic has contributed, the acceptance of MASOUTIS's request for exemption from the divestment obligation was advanced, given that the conditions of effective competition in the retail market of supermarket items in the area of Chora of Andros Island have been sufficiently ensured.