Reports in the national press this morning expect the Competition Commission to give Wm Morrison the green light for its bid for Safeway today.
It is thought likely that rival bids from the UK's big three retailers Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda will be blocked, or made unfeasible by terms and conditions.
The Commission has had four months to study the bids and trade and industry secretary Patricia Hewitt will receive its findings this afternoon. She is expected to make a final decision in September.
The fifth party to bid was entrepreneur Philip Green, who does not come under the Commission's spotlight as he is not an owner of any rival supermarkets to Safeway.
Safeway yesterday voiced its preference for a deal with Morrison's and in terms of ensuring a competitive retail market, the Bradford-based chain appears to hold all the aces.
Should one of the big three take on Safeway, over 70 per cent of the grocery market in the UK would rest with three companies. Smaller retail chains such as Budgens and Spar have already expressed their concern at such an outcome.
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