Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Penuel Joseph Ares

Sainsbury's Abandoned Morrisons Takeover Talks Expose High‑Stakes Battle For UK Grocery

Sainsbury’s scrapped Morrisons bid exposes rising tension over UK supermarket mergers, debt and discounter pressure (Credit: Russel Wills/Wikimedia Commons)

Sainsbury's held private takeover talks with rival Morrisons over a multibillion‑pound merger that would have reshaped the UK grocery market, but walked away earlier this year after a disagreement over price, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The preliminary talks took place between November 2025 and February 2026, the people said. Both companies declined to comment.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.