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🇫🇷 France /Economy & Trade

Auchan to Sell 72 Supermarkets to Intermarché; 17 Stores Await Buyers

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Auchan plans to sell 72 of its 91 supermarkets to the Intermarché group, as part of a strategy to focus on hypermarkets.
  • Seventeen supermarkets will remain without a buyer for now, raising concerns about potential job losses for nearly 1,000 employees.
  • The French competition authority is reviewing the proposed joint venture between Auchan and the Mousquetaires group for operating 167 stores in France.

French retailer Auchan is set to divest 72 of its 91 supermarkets to the Intermarché group, a move aimed at allowing Auchan to concentrate on its hypermarket operations. This significant transaction is part of a broader restructuring strategy for the Mulliez family-owned group, which is the fifth-largest distributor in France.

However, the deal leaves 17 supermarkets without a confirmed buyer. These stores, reportedly in financial difficulty, have raised concerns among unions, particularly the CGT, which fears closures and the potential loss of nearly 1,000 jobs. The CFDT union has also highlighted the "total uncertainty" surrounding the future of these 17 locations.

We fear the closure of these sites if there is no buyer. This corresponds to nearly 1000 jobs

— Mouhsine AmraniA central union delegate for Auchan expressed concerns about job losses related to the unsold supermarkets.

Two other supermarkets, located in Tourcoing and Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, will remain under Auchan Retail France's umbrella, bringing the total number of stores retained by the group to 13. Intermarché has declined to comment on the specifics of the deal.

The French competition authority is currently scrutinizing the proposed creation of a joint venture between Auchan and the Mousquetaires group (which includes Intermarché and Netto) to operate 167 stores in France. Auchan has indicated that 164 supermarkets will join a new autonomous legal entity, named A+Super, operated under franchise agreements with Intermarché or Netto.

total uncertainty

— CFDTThe union described the situation for employees at the 17 unsold supermarkets.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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