The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition by Auchan of 98 food retail stores formerly operated under the Casino banner, subject to two commitments

The Autorité has today completed its analysis of the takeover of the stores formerly operated under the Casino banner by the Intermarché, Carrefour and Auchan groups.

On 27 February 2024, Auchan notified the Autorité of its plan to acquire 98 food retail stores operated under the Casino banner.

To take account of the stores’ difficult economic situations, the Autorité granted Auchan, at its request, a derogation from the suspensive effect of merger control^[1]. In accordance with the applicable rules, this derogation, which enabled Auchan to complete the transaction without waiting for the Autorité to issue its decision, was without prejudice to the final decision to be taken by the Autorité, which, at the end of its investigation and competitive analysis, could call into question certain acquisitions by considering that remedies were necessary in areas where there would be insufficient competition for consumers after the transaction.

After examining the transaction, the Autorité has cleared Auchan to acquire control of the stores in question, subject to commitments regarding two stores to ensure that consumers have access to sufficient alternatives and can benefit from competition when buying everyday consumer goods.

^[1] Derogation granted under Article L. 430-4 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce) by letter dated 19 March 2024.