The Latvian competition authority (KP) has received a merger notification from AIBE Food SIA (AIBE) concerning its acquisition of decisive influence over the limited liability company 'LAUMIŅA 1'. This merger involves AIBE, which operates in the retail sector for daily consumer goods, including food, and currently manages 22 stores in Latvia.

LAUMIŅA 1 primarily engages in the retail of food and daily consumer goods in Vilāni, operating under the names 'Minūtīte', 'Dālderis', and 'Big'. The merger is expected to affect competitive conditions in the local retail market for food and daily consumer goods around Vilāni, as well as in the vertically related markets for daily consumer goods procurement and real estate leasing in the area.

According to the information provided by the merger participants, AIBE plans to continue operating the stores 'Minūtīte', 'Dālderis', and 'Big' without significant changes to their business model, product range, organization, or employee count post-merger.

The KP is required to make a decision on the merger's approval, prohibition, or conditional approval within one month of receiving the merger notification. If a more in-depth investigation is necessary, the decision period may be extended up to three months from the notification date.

Market participants or other interested parties wishing to provide their views on the merger's impact on competition are invited to contact KP's senior economist Andris Vītols by September 3, 2026, or fill out the provided questionnaire.