The aisles are almost entirely empty. There are still a few good deals indicated by large posters: “Massive clearance, -70%”. Like an air of déjà vu… Like its neighbor in Lanester, the #HyperFrais Casino in Lorient, in Monistrol, will close its doors this Sunday, June 30, at noon. They will reopen on July 22 under the Intermarché brand, “time to put the new references on the shelves”, declares Romuald Torchaussé, current director. It is an independent who is taking over, an Intermarché member who already knows the Lorient region. The seafood section has been closed since June 22, the catering, charcuterie and cheese stalls are also empty. There is still a well-stocked sushi corner. The Casino distributor brand has already almost disappeared from the shelves and the gas station is closing this Friday.
Mateo, 82, puts his groceries in his car, he observes that “for three weeks, the shelves have been getting smaller and smaller”. A neighbor of the store, he will continue to do his shopping there under the Intermarché brand. “It seems it will be cheaper. I don’t really believe it but we’ll see! “. Edwige hopes that prices will drop, she has done her calculations, “here, it’s twice as expensive” as a low-cost store. “I live nearby so it’s easy and we can find everything.” What will they do during the closure? “I stocked up for three weeks,” announces the septuagenarian. Claude and Colette are among the store’s oldest customers. “It’s been 50 years!” It was La Coop, le Rallye, le Géant.” The couple will go elsewhere during the closure, “we won’t die of hunger,” they joke. Expensive at the casino? These loyal customers are not so categorical, “it depended on the products, maybe certain big brands, we’ll see if it’s really cheaper!” », waits to see Claude.
This is a new step, we couldn’t continue like this with Casino
The shops in the gallery remain open
The gallery of the future ex-Casino includes a bakery, a hair salon, a newsagent, a dry cleaner, and a locksmith. They will remain open while the store is closed, while adapting their hours. “We’re moving to 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.,” announces Philippe Menguy, manager of the press for fourteen years. He has heard that prices will be “15 to 20% cheaper. I think that will bring in a larger flow of customers and bring back others who no longer came. Obviously, the three-week closure of the hypermarket will be complicated for businesses. The bakery will remain open for another week and then take a vacation before reopening on Tuesday, July 23. “For us, the change of name doesn’t change anything. The store’s customers only represent 10-15% of our turnover,” explains Frédéric Duvivier, manager. The employees are waiting to meet their director. They will be busy for three weeks arranging and shelving. “This is a new stage, we couldn’t continue like this with Casino.”
