Sainsbury's Held Then Abandoned Exploratory Merger Talks With Morrisons

Sainsbury's held exploratory multibillion-pound merger talks with Morrisons earlier in 2026 before walking away; discussions are no longer live. Both companies declined to comment. Any future attempt would face tough antitrust review: regulators blocked Sainsbury's £7bn merger with Asda in 2019. I see the regulatory hurdle as the central question if talks ever resume.