European Union: Closed European Commission investigation into the acquisition of iRobot by Amazon

On 29 January 2024, the European Commission closed the investigation into Amazon's proposed acquisition of iRobot following the parties' decision to abandon the transaction. This decision followed the Commission's in-depth investigation and the issuance of a Statement of Objections on 27 November 2023. The investigation preliminarily found that the acquisition would have enabled Amazon to foreclose iRobot's rivals by restricting or degrading access to Amazon Stores. Such foreclosure strategies could have restricted competition in the market for robot vacuum cleaners, potentially leading to higher prices, lower quality, and less innovation for consumers.