Now it could be a bid target
13 April 2012
TODAY'S disappointment heightens speculation that Sainsbury could be the next target in the multi-billion pound supermarket takeover bid wars.
Along with Wal-Mart's Asda and Tesco, it has indicated it may bid for rival Safeway, where Wm Morrison has already made a takeover offer. The Competition Commission's inquiry runs until September. Sainsbury is seen as one of the least likely to be cleared.
Whatever the outcome of the inquiry, analysts say it will be left as the most vulnerable of Britain's remaining four massive supermarket chains. It has invested in change but not yet produced the results, making it an ideal time for a predator to swoop.
