Dutch technology investor gets EU green light for €4.1bn Just Eat Takeaway takeover bid: Dutch technology investor Prosus has gained European Union antitrust approval for €4.1bn Just Eat Takeaway takeover bid after agreeing to sell down its stake in Delivery Hero. Amsterdam-headquartered Prosus, which is majority owned by South Africa's Naspers, is banking on its artificial intelligence capability to boost Just Eat Takeaway, Europe’s biggest meal delivery company. The European Commission said Naspers offered to significantly reduce its 27.4% stake in Delivery Hero to below a specified low percentage within 12 months. Naspers also pledged not to exercise the voting rights with its remaining limited stake in Delivery Hero, and also not to increase its stake beyond the specified maximum level. It will not recommend or propose any person to Delivery Hero's management and supervisory boards. Prosus said the EU decision was the final regulatory approval needed to close the offer, which ends on 1 October, and that if all offer conditions including the acceptance threshold for the deal are met by that date, it will declare its offer unconditional within three business days. “Our ambition is clear: to build a true European tech champion and lead the next chapter in food delivery innovation,” Prosus chief executive Fabricio Bloisi said in a statement. The deal would make Prosus the world’s fourth-largest food delivery company after Meituan, DoorDash and Uber, according to ING analysts.

 

Costa Coffee branch blasted for offering free drink for good reviews: A Costa Coffee branch has been blasted after promising customers a free coffee in exchange for a good review. The outlet in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, had a sign on the counter that promised customers “any medium-sized drink for free” if they rated the store a nine or 10 out of 10 on an emailed feedback form, reports The Telegraph. Mark Shaw, who posted a photo of the sign on X, wrote: “Costa Coffee, love to hear your thoughts on this. Surely it makes a total mockery of your reviews?” The official Costa Coffee account replied: “Ooh that’s quite cheeky, drop us a DM so we can chase this up Mark?” Martyn James, a consumer rights expert, said that customer reviews “only work if they are given freely, without incentive or manipulation”. He added: “Given that review sites are now covered by law, this frankly outrageous attempt to game the system is as shameless as it is forbidden. As customers, we all need to question reviews until the new rules are fully enforced. It is unclear whether the review was posted to be public on a review site, or sent internally to Costa Coffee, to be eligible for the free drink. Dr Jennifer Obaseki, a solicitor specialising in consumer law, said: “Making the coffee conditional on writing a review can be legally awkward. While no one is likely to sue for a ‘lost coffee opportunity’, consumer regulators take a dim view of promotions that pressure customers into leaving positive feedback.” The incident comes just months after new rules came into force under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, making it unlawful to post fake reviews, or to conceal incentives given in exchange for reviews. A Costa Coffee spokesman said: “We are aware of a sign that was displayed in one of our franchise stores, which was put up without approval and does not reflect company policy. As soon as we became aware of the sign, we asked the store to remove it, which they have done.”