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The Competition Authority has subsequently validated the purchase of 200 stores under the Casino brand by its competitor Mousquetaires/Intermarché, on condition that the latter transfers 11 stores to other distributors to avoid too little competition at the local level on the predominantly food products. The “Netto” of Valence-d’Agen (Tarn-et-Garonne) is part of this list of 11.
The Competition Authority subsequently authorized the repurchase of 200 stores under the Casino brand by its competitor Mousquetaires/Intermarché, “on the condition that Intermarché transfers 11 stores to other distributors to avoid too little competition at the local level”, according to a press release published Thursday November 28, 2024.
The Netto in Valence-d'Agen (Tarn-et-Garonne) is part of the list of stores which will have to be sold with those located in Arc-lès-Gray (70), Bagnères-de-Luchon (31), Blanzac- lès-Matha (17), Boé (47), Charlieu (42), Lambesc (13), Lorgues (83), Revel (31), Solliès-Pont (83) and Susville (38).
The Authority considered that the repurchase operation of these 200 stores “was not likely to significantly strengthen the purchasing power of Intermarché on the upstream markets for the supply of everyday consumer goods, taking into account the low share of purchases from former Casino group stores acquired by Intermarché. It “also found that this operation was not likely to place the parties' suppliers in a situation of economic dependence”.
At the end of its analysis, the Authority “on the other hand concluded that the operation risked hindering competition in the market for the retail distribution of predominantly food products in the catchment areas around the group's former stores Casino”, including that of Valence-d'Agen.
The Beaumont Casino has become a Super-U and that of Moissac has closed
Following the major financial difficulties of the distributor Casino, Intermarché announced the purchase of 200 Casino stores at the start of 2024, with Auchan and Carrefour taking over a hundred and around thirty respectively. In Tarn-et-Garonne, in addition to Valence, Casino sold its Beaumont-de-Lomagne supermarket to Super-U and completely closed that of Moissac.
In Valence, it was on January 24 that the Les Mousquetaires group formalized the takeover of the Casino supermarket located on rue Aristide-Briand, near the station. The large distribution group already owns an Intermarché supermarket in the town (located avenue de Bordeaux), it had decided to use part of the surface area of the former Casino to open a store under its Netto discount brand.
It remains to be seen which distributor will be interested in this store. The German group Lidl already has a store in Valencia.
Remember that the major financial difficulties of the distributor Casino had forced it to sell almost all of its large format stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets, to its competitors Intermarché, but also Auchan and Carrefour. In Tarn-et-Garonne, in addition to Valence, Casino sold its Beaumont-de-Lomagne supermarket to Super-U and completely closed that of Moissac.
