CONGLOMERATE MERGER: The consolidation under a single ownership of two separately-owned businesses, in totally, completely separate industries. An example of a conglomerate merger would be an athletic shoe company merging with a soft drink company. A conglomerate merger should be contrasted with horizontal merger -- two competing firms in the same industry that sell the same products; and vertical merger -- two firms in different stages of the production of one good, such that the output of one business is the input of the other. See also | business | industry | oligopoly | horizontal merger | vertical merger | conglomerate merger |
