20 Feb 2019 --- Sainsbury’s and Asda have hit back at the provisional findings of the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) which has voiced “extensive competition concerns” on the proposed merger between the two retail giants. In response to the in-depth probe, the supermarkets have accused the competitions regulator of “moving the goalposts” and “fundamentally misunderstanding how people shop in the UK today.” With questions being raised over the proposed tie-up, which would create ‎a more powerful rival to Tesco, the UK’s current market leader, its future is now in doubt – unless the retailers can satisfy the regulator through sell-offs.