A change is looming in the world of mass distribution. Delhaize has announced its intention to buy the 325 Louis Delhaize stores, a brand founded 150 years ago by the brother of the creators of the lion brand.
325. This is the number of stores affected by the agreement, the vast majority of which are franchisees. Delhaize has indeed announced the acquisition of a subsidiary of the Louis Delhaize group, the Delfood subsidiary.
“Nothing changes: we keep the head office, logistics and stores. Everything remains the same, both for employees and customers. Delfood will continue to deliver to Louis Delhaize stores as well as other independent brands“, specifies Karima Ghozzi, spokesperson for Delhaize.
Louis Delhaize and Delhaize le Lion: two distinct companies but founded by two brothers, which explains their common name. Over the years, these brands have evolved independently, but today they come together under a single group, the Delhaize company.
“The desire is really to perpetuate our activities, to develop a vast network and to become the number one convenience store in the food sector.“, adds Karima Ghozzi.
After the recent resale of the Match, Smatch and Deli Traiteur stores by the Delfood group, this announcement does not come as a total surprise. For the moment, no restructuring or change is expected from Louis Delhaize.
This acquisition is seen as good news by some managers, but it raises concerns among unions. “On the Delfood side, we want to be reassuring, because it is simply a share buyback. This does not change the working conditions of the staff. But we remember that, when Intermarché bought Mestdagh, we were told the same thing. Over time, working conditions have changed. We will therefore remain extremely vigilant to prevent this from happening again here.“, warns Myriam Delmée, president of SETCa.
This share buyback must still be validated by the Belgian Competition Authority. Delhaize hopes to finalize this acquisition by the end of 2025.
Delhaize
Louis Delhaize
