The Commerce Commission has given Henkel New Zealand Limited the all-clear to purchase Earthwise Group, saying it is satisfied the acquisition will not lessen competition in the market.
Henkel, a multinational company that imports and wholesales consumer goods such as hair products, toilet cleaners, laundry detergents and other household items, sought clearance from the commission to buy Earthwise brands in April.
The Earthwise range includes household cleaners, laundry and babycare products.
Commissioner Sue Begg said the commission was satisfied that the acquisition would not substantially lessen competition in the market.
“Our investigation found that Henkel and Earthwise are not close competitors and will continue to be constrained by several other prominent competitors in the national markets for the wholesale supply of laundry detergents, laundry pre-wash aids and toilet cleaners.
“We found that Henkel and Earthwise focus on different consumer preferences.
“Henkel is focused on products for price/quality conscious consumers, whereas Earthwise is focused on products for ‘eco-conscious’ consumers.”
