Strålfors' acquisition of 21 Grams cleared following extensive commitments

The Swedish Competition Authority has approved Strålfors’ acquisition of 21 Grams without taking further action, meaning the transaction may proceed. However, the decision is conditional on a substantial number of commitments from both Strålfors and Postnord. The decision follows commitments submitted by Strålfors and Postnord that eliminate the competition concerns the acquisition could have raised. These commitments include a functional separation of Strålfors from Postnord’s distribution operations. This removes the link between Strålfors and Postnord’s distribution business, which was the main basis for most of the identified competition concerns, according to the Swedish Competition Authority.

The Swedish Competition Authority conducted an in-depth investigation to assess whether Postnord Strålfors AB’s proposed acquisition of sole control over 21 Grams Holding AB could lead to a significant impediment of effective competition.

Both 21 Grams and Strålfors supply intermediation services used by businesses to handle both digital and physical customer communications, such as the distribution of invoices. They then contract postal distributors to handle the physical delivery. The largest actor on the market for the distribution of bulk mailings—i.e. series of consignments with the same format and weight—in Sweden is Postnord Sverige AB, which is part of the same corporate group as Strålfors. 21 Grams has developed a software used for postage optimisation, which it supplies to other intermediaries and which is also essential for maintaining competition among postal distributors.

The Swedish Competition Authority’s investigation found that the acquisition risked creating a conflict of interest, where Strålfors, post-acquisition, could make decisions favouring Postnord’s distribution business and exclude competing postal distributors. The acquisition therefore risked strengthening Postnord’s dominant position in the market for distribution of bulk mailings. Strålfors’ acquisition of 21 Grams’ software also posed a risk to competition in the market for intermediation services.

Strålfors and its parent company Postnord Group AB have made commitments that eliminate the competition concerns associated with the corporate concentration.

The commitments include a functional separation, meaning that Strålfors will be organisationally separated from Postnord’s distribution business and will make decisions independently from the rest of the Postnord Group. In addition, the commitments regulate Strålfors’ conduct in several dimensions. This includes an obligation to offer postage optimisation services on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms, so that other intermediaries may continue using these services after the acquisition. Strålfors is also required to offer intermediation services that use 21 Grams postage optimisation software to all of its customers.

The decision is accompanied by both an ordinary and a periodic fine of SEK 300 million and SEK 20 million respectively for Strålfors, and SEK 450 million and SEK 20 million respectively for Postnord Group AB.

“With the commitments made by Postnord and Strålfors, the competition concerns we identified are resolved. From now on, Strålfors will make decisions based on its own interests, which is positive for competition,” says Marie Östman, Director General of the Swedish Competition Authority.

The commitments made by Strålfors and Postnord Group AB will remain in force until 2038. An independent trustee will monitor compliance with the commitments by Strålfors and Postnord Group AB and report to the Swedish Competition Authority.

For further information, please contact:

David Nordström, Deputy Head of Unit, 076-542 16 06, David.Nordstrom@kkv.se
Marie Strömberg Lindvall, Press Officer, 076-542 15 92, Marie.StrombergLindvall@kkv.se

Strålfors' acquisition of 21 Grams cleared following extensive commitments

For further information, please contact:

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