C_202500498EN.000101.fmx.xml

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.11715 – ALSO / WESTCOAST UK IRELAND FRANCE)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(C/2025/498)

On 14 January 2025, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).

This notification concerns the following undertakings:

—	ALSO Holding AG (‘ALSO’, Switzerland), ultimately controlled by Droege Group AG (Germany),

—

Westcoast Holdco Limited (‘Westcoast Holdco’, UK), and its subsidiaries Clarity Computer (Distribution) Limited t/a Westcoast Ireland (Ireland), STL Holdco Limited (UK), Westcoast France SAS (France), Westcoast Limited (UK), and Spire Technology Limited (UK) (all together referred to as ‘Westcoast Target’). Westcoast Holdco is the holding company of the Westcoast group and ultimately controlled by Mr. Graham Chambers, Mr. Muhamed Amin Hemani and Mr. Leon Hemani.

ALSO will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control of Westcoast Target.

The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:

—

ALSO is active in Europe in the wholesale of products in the fields of information and communication technology, consumer electronics, printing consumables, and related services, and to a more limited extent in the retailing of information and communication technology products and consumer electronics,

—

Westcoast Target is active in the wholesale IT distribution of software and hardware products. In particular, Westcoast Target markets, sells and distributes personal computing equipment, phones, servers, storage and networking equipment, printing supplies, as well as audio visual equipment and related accessories to resellers and retailers. Westcoast Target operates predominantly in Europe, mainly in the UK, Ireland and France.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:

M.11715 – ALSO / WESTCOAST UK IRELAND FRANCE

Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:

Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu

Postal address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

(1) OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).