FirstCash / Ramsdens merger inquiry
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating the anticipated acquisition by FirstCash Holdings Inc. of Ramsdens Holdings PLC.
Statutory timetable
| Phase 1 | Action |
|---|---|
| 22 December 2026 | Deadline for phase 1 decision (*) |
| 26 October 2026 | Launch of the merger inquiry |
| 20 August 2026 to 4 September 2026 | Invitation to comment |
(*) Whilst the CMA will seek to determine its investigation as quickly as possible, the statutory deadline can be extended in certain limited circumstances.
Phase 1
Launch of the merger inquiry
26 October 2026: The CMA announced the launch of its merger inquiry by notice to the parties.
- (26.10.26)
Invitation to comment: Closed
20 August 2026: The CMA is issuing this ‘invitation to comment’ to allow interested parties to submit to the CMA any initial views on the impact that the transaction could have on competition in the UK. The CMA has not yet launched its formal investigation into this transaction. This invitation to comment is the first part of the CMA’s information-gathering process.
To assist it with this assessment, the CMA invites comments on the transaction from any interested party.
Pre-notification
The CMA has received the necessary information from the parties to commence pre-notification.
Contact
Please send written representations about any competition issues to:
Personal information
Your name and contact details are your personal data. The CMA may collect, use and share personal data for its consumer protection investigation under Part 8 the Enterprise Act 2002. This includes processing personal data for the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.
For more information about how the CMA handles personal information, read our Personal Information Charter.