The UK Competition & Markets Authority has provisionally ruled that Aldi and Lidl should face the same land agreement restrictions as major supermarket groups including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda. The rules prevent large grocers from using restrictive covenants or exclusivity deals to block nearby rivals. Aldi and Lidl were previously exempt as limited-assortment discounters, but the CMA said their scale, ranges and procurement models now justify inclusion. (CMA)