Tipperary Co-op and Arrabawn have started a process of due diligence, where they closely examine each other’s businesses.

After that, both co-ops will go back to their members with a proposal. Arrabawn has already indicated that supplier meetings are expected to take place in October.

Active members of both co-ops will have to vote in favour of a merger for it to proceed. If those votes – likely in November – are passed, then the merger will have to be approved by the competition authority before it can proceed.

That approval could take anything from weeks to more than a year.