Timed tasks, important”turnover” teams: several testimonies and documents broadcast in a report Thursday evening accuse the brand specializing in low prices of asking a lot of its more than 74,500 employees.
In particular, employees must put the marketed products on the shelves within a specified timeincurring reprimands otherwise, asserts “Additional investigation”according to which, in certain regions, more than 7 out of 10 employees have left their position in the past year, i.e. a very significant “turnover”.
However, not all Action employees complain about their working conditions, AFP noted, which met some of them.
Contacted by AFP, the company which has already done so in the past the subject of union criticism over the treatment of its employeesexplained via a spokesperson in France provide “a time indication for store deliveries”used “for planning purposes only, to ensure we have enough staff available to carry out the work”.
Concerning turnover, the same source says it does not recognize the figures put forward, judges that “the calculation methodology is not clear” and declares not to have “no reason to believe we are deviating significantly from a general retail industry norm”.
A commercial success
On the commercial side in any case, the Action discounter is a success. The brand has already achieved 9.6 billion euros in turnover over the first nine months of 2024an impressive increase of 20.9% compared to the same period in 2023, she indicated in mid-November.
In total, the brand then claimed 2,755 stores in a dozen European countries including the Netherlands (its country of origin), France (which is its largest market), Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain or even Portugal.
The brand is nearly 58% owned by the 3i investment fund, listed in the United Kingdom.
In its latest annual report published in May, 3i indicates that Action has already brought in more than 2.9 billion pounds sterling (3.5 billion euros at Thursday's price) since its first investment in 2011, including dividends. . “The future revenue potential is considerable”rejoices the fund, valuing its participation at 15.5 billion pounds at the end of September, or a little less than 19 billion euros.
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