Bar-le-Duc, 108 jobs on the line; Clermont-Ferrand North, 200 employees; Metz-Woippy, 80 jobs…Three hypermarkets which will close in 2025, as many jobs in different territories. At the same time, at the call of the CGT, several employees from different companies hit by a social plan demonstrated their anger in front of Bercy. This means that the deputies of the Economic Affairs Committee, present this morning at the hearing of Guillaume Darrasse at the National Assembly, had many questions to ask the president of Auchan France and general manager of Auchan Retail, the ten stores affected by closures often being located in their constituency. Initiated by the CFDT at the beginning of December which had asked the deputies to hear the boss, the approach also concerned the use of public aid (mainly the CICE) and the billion euros in dividends received by the shareholder of Auchan, namely the Mulliez Family Association (AFM). Suffice to say that she returns Guillaume Darrasse to his responsibility as boss. “ We have heard from the leaders of Stellantis, Michelin and Lactalis in recent monthsexplained in the preamble the president of the Commission, Aurélie Trouvé. Auchan employs 54,000 employees in France and is implementing a social plan affecting 2,400 employees. It is normal to hear Guillaume Darrasse. » « 52,127 employees », the latter immediately corrects.
Auchan lost 296 million euros in France in 2024
Equally necessary were the boss's explanations as a preamble. On November 5, he announced a job protection plan covering 4% of the French workforce (2,389 positions) and the closure of ten stores, including three hypermarkets. An essential PES in his eyes. “ Auchan lost 350 million euros in 2023, most of which is to be attributed to France (236 million euros) for a turnover of 32.3 billion euros, half of which in France. In 2024, this net loss amounts to 296 million euros. » The explanations are known, but in front of the deputies, they must be repeated: loss of competitiveness, in particular price, excessively heavy charges, “ organizational choices that are not the right ones »…One figure sums up the situation: in 2024, the margin of 24.1% (compared to 24.8 in 2023) was used to finance 65.3% of personnel costs and 31.9% of external charges. Personnel costs at Auchan, around 14%, must fall by 1.5 points according to the plan presented by Guillaume Darrasse on November 5.
« Go to the end and impose contractualization »
But current events are catching up with MPs and many questions relate to the distribution of value between farmers, manufacturers and distributors, while there remains one month and ten days of trade negotiations. To the question of Françoise Buffet, deputy for Bas-Rhin, on the subject Guillaume Darrasse does not mince his words. “ The 170 largest suppliers are currently asking us for increases of 6.2% while our SMEs are legitimately arriving with requests for price increases of 2.5%. And when we break down the agricultural raw material (MPA), its share is 1.4% for large industrialists and 4.7% for other positions. » And to say to the assembly: “ go to the end, impose the contractualization of the MPA between farmers and manufacturers and we will take this price as a basic entry, that is if we know it… »
-636 million euros in public aid and tax cuts and half to Tascom
Concerning the tax credit for competitiveness and employment, created in 2012 under the Hollande era, Guillaume Darrasse took out his calculator. “ Between 2013 and 2023, Auchan received 636 million euros in credits and tax cuts ”, before adding: “ we are not the only ones. During the same time, the group paid Tascom, which represents half of the CICE “. Over five years, between 2013 and 2018, 44% of the CICE (212 million euros) was used, according to the boss of Auchan, for “elements of remuneration and working conditions”; 29% (139 million euros) for price competitiveness and finally 17% (80 million euros) for ecological transition. Or a total of 431 million euros. On dividends, Guillaume Darrasse notes a “ confusion between Ebitda and dividends » and assures the deputies that “ Auchan France has not paid a dividend since 2019 “. Same exercise, supporting figures. In 2016, 35 million euros in dividends were paid; in 2017, 67; in 2018, 51, then nothing until today.
For the rest, namely the reclassification guarantees offered to the 2,389 employees concerned by the PSE, Guillaume Darrasse, constrained by the schedule of negotiations which last until the end of February, did not say much. “ His answers lack clarity and precision », Underlines a disappointed trade unionist. For stores on sale, “ we are looking for buyers », assures the boss. And for reclassifications, a subject which worries the deputies, “ we are in contact with all the HR managers of other brands in the Mulliez galaxy to reclassify people “. And to recall in passing that during the previous PSE, in 2000, of the 1582 people affected, there were 83 layoffs. “ Auchan's weakness today comes from its past strength. The brand was built on a specific model, which folded in on itself. Those that will remain tomorrow are those with the lowest costs. » There is nothing to rejoice about.
