these three supermarkets will have to change their brand

See my news
Follow Toulouse News

It is a twist which will have concrete consequences for customers. The Competition Authority indicated Thursday November 28, 2024 that it had authorized in retrospect the redemption of 200 stores under the Casino brand by its competitor, the group Intermarchéprovided that the latter… gives way 11 stores to other distributors due to “risks of harm to competition to the detriment of consumers local “. Three of these supermarkets, which had just changed their brand, are in Occitania.

The stores in Luchon, Revel and Valence d'Agen will have to be sold

In a press release thatToulouse News was able to consult, the Authority thus lists the 11 stores which must be transferred. Among them are those of Bagnères-de-Luchon et Revel (Haute-Garonne), but also that of Valence d’Agen (Tarn-et-Garonne). It is about three former Casino storestransferred to the Intermarché group ago a few weeks barely…

Not enough competition, says the Authority

In reality, in each of these three towns in the former Midi-Pyrénées where he had already have Intermarché storesthe Mousquetaires group did not operate these new stores under the Intermarché flag, but under that of Netits hard-discount food brand. For the Competition Authority, this changes nothing: with regard to the three catchment areas concerned, there is not enough competition.

A risk of impoverishing “the diversity of the offer”

The Authority “considered that in these areas where Intermarché would significantly strengthen its market power at the end of the operation, it would not remain no credible alternatives and sufficient for Intermarché to discipline its competitive behavior,” she explains.

This situation risked in particular leading to an impoverishment of the diversity of the offer to the detriment of consumers in the areas concerned.

Intermarché has undertaken to sell these stores

The Authority then specifies that to “resolve the identified competition problems”, the Intermarché group has made “commitments consisting of 11 store sales”.

In order to remedy these risks of harm to competition, Intermarché has undertaken to sell the target stores to one or more competitors. […]. These commitments will ensure that sufficient competition is maintained and protect the interests of consumers in the markets concerned.

Who will take over these three stores?

The institution finally indicates that it “will ensure the proper fulfillment of commitments”. Who will take over the Occitan brands? If she doesn't specify yet the future operator(s)she adds that “the buyers presented must be approved by the Authoritywhich will ensure that they will be able to constitute a credible alternative offer in terms of predominantly food distribution, in each of these areas.

The transfers must include all the elements necessary to maintain the viability of the activity and integrate the staff employed in the stores concerned before their takeover by Intermarché.

The Casino group continues its descent into hell

Remember that the major financial difficulties of the Casino group had forced it to give up almost all from its supermarkets and hypermarkets to its competitors Intermarché, but also Auchan and Carrefour. A true temple of consumption in Toulouse, that of Fenouillet for example fell into the hands of Auchan.

Once the flagship of mass distribution in France, the Casino group still had 200,000 employees worldwide at the end of 2022, including 50,000 in France. Two years later, it is only the shadow of himself. Taken over at the Paris commercial court by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, the distributor today employs around 28,000 people, and its descent into hell is not over: according to the unions, a social plan, currently under discussion, still threatens 3,000 positions.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.