• SWI COMCO prohibited the takeover of Quickmail by Swiss Post to avoid monopoly.

Main Points

• The Quickmail Group, with its two subsidiaries Quickmail and Quickpac, distributes letters, unaddressed mail, newspapers, magazines, parcels throughout Switzerland.
• Swiss Post is a competitor; for SWI COMCO, the takeover would harm competition for commercial customers in the market for addressed mass postal items over 50 grams.
• The takeover would create/strengthen a Swiss Post dominant position in markets for sending letters and parcels and in the market for distributing newspapers, magazines.
• The merging entities presented a failing firm defense, rejected by the SWI COMCO.
• Alongside Swiss Post, there was another potential buyer from the Quickmail Group.
• The takeover by this third party would allow a favorable solution for the Quickmail group to continue to exist on the market and maintain competition with Swiss Post.
• If the potential buyer's offer is accepted, a bankruptcy could be avoided given the absence of over-indebtedness, and the Quickmail group will be able to remain active.
• As an alternative service provider for the benefit of consumers, commercial customers.