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Other Published 8 May 2026 Competition and Markets Authority ↗ View on GOV.UK

GXO / Wincanton merger inquiry

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating the completed acquisition by GXO Logistics, Inc. of Wincanton Plc.

Attachments
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Phase 2

The phase 2 investigation is being conducted under the CMA’s new merger process, which applies to cases opened since 25 April 2024.

Administrative timetable

Date Action
25 June 2025 Statutory deadline
14 November 2024 Referral date

Contact

gxo.wincanton@cma.gov.uk

Remedy group appointed

8 May 2026: Effective from 1 May 2026, the remedy group will be:

26 August 2025: The CMA has appointed the remedy group.

Final undertakings

26 August 2025: The CMA has accepted final undertakings and the reference has now been fully determined.

Amendments / consents granted

Notice of proposal to accept final undertakings

7 August 2025: The CMA gives notice of the proposal to accept final undertakings and is inviting comments on the proposed draft undertakings by 5pm on Thursday 21 August 2025.

Final report

19 June 2025: The CMA has published its final report.

Interim order

19 June 2025: The CMA served an interim order under section 81 of the Enterprise Act 2002 on GXO Logistics, Inc., International Venture Holdings Limited (England and Wales) and Wincanton Limited (formerly Wincanton plc).

Amendments / consents granted

Directions to appoint a monitoring trustee

19 June 2025: On 13 May 2025, pursuant to an initial enforcement order dated 26 April 2024, the CMA directed GXO Logistics, Inc. and Wincanton Limited (formerly Wincanton plc) to appoint a monitoring trustee.

Notice of extension of statutory period

Responses to the invitation to comment on remedies

Response to the interim report

Invitation to comment on remedies: closed

7 March 2025: The invitation to comment on remedies sets out and consults on the actions which the CMA might take for the purpose of remedying the substantial lessening of competition and/or any resulting adverse effects provisionally identified in the interim report.

The deadline for submitting comments on possible remedies was 5pm on 18 March 2025.

Interim report

19 February 2025: The CMA has provisionally found competition concerns as part of its in-depth investigation of the completed acquisition by GXO Logistics, Inc. of Wincanton plc.

The deadline for submitting responses to the interim report was 5pm on Wednesday 12 March 2025.

Responses to the Phase 1 decision

Inquiry group appointed

14 November 2024: The CMA has appointed the following inquiry group:

Terms of reference

14 November 2024: The CMA has referred the completed acquisition by GXO Logistics, Inc. of Wincanton plc for an in-depth investigation.

Phase 1

Statutory timetable

Date Action
1 November 2024 Phase 1 decision announced
6 September 2024 Launch of merger inquiry
6 September 2024 to 20 September 2024 Invitation to comment
26 April 2024 Initial enforcement order

Reference decision

14 November 2024: The CMA has referred the completed acquisition by GXO Logistics, Inc. of Wincanton plc for an in-depth investigation, on the basis that, on the information currently available to it, it is or may be the case that this merger may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within a market or markets in the United Kingdom.

Reference unless undertakings accepted

1 November 2024: The CMA has decided, on the evidence currently available to it, that it is or may be the case that this merger may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within a market or markets in the United Kingdom. This merger will be referred for an in-depth, phase 2 investigation unless the parties offer an acceptable undertaking to address these competition concerns.

Launch of the merger inquiry

6 September 2024: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced the launch of its merger inquiry by notice to the parties.

Invitation to comment: closed 20 September 2024

The CMA is considering whether it is or may be the case that this merger has resulted in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 and, if so, whether the creation of that situation has resulted, or may be expected to result, in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services.

To assist it with this assessment, the CMA invites comments on the merger from any interested party.

These comments should be provided by the deadline set out above.

Contact details for submitting responses are set out in the invitation to comment below.

Initial enforcement order

26 April 2024: The Competition and Markets Authority has served an initial enforcement order under section 72(2) of the Enterprise Act 2002 on GXO Logistics, Inc, International Venture Holdings Limited (England and Wales), and Wincanton Plc.

Amendments / consents granted

Privacy notice

Your name and contact details are your personal data. In collecting, receiving, storing, accessing and using your personal data, the CMA, as controller, is processing your personal data. The CMA processes personal data in accordance with data protection law. The CMA is processing your personal data so that it can contact you again, should it need further help or information from you, in order to carry out its merger work under Part 3 of the Enterprise Act 2002. For more information about how the CMA processes personal data and your rights relating to that data, please see our Privacy Notice.