The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of a Lafayette Gourmet shop in Saint-Laurent-du-Var by Monoprix (Casino group)

On 17 December 2018, Monoprix Exploitation notified the Autorité de la concurrence its intention to acquire exclusive control over a business, located in the CAP 3000 shopping centre in Saint-Laurent-du-Var and managed by Magasins Galeries Lafayette. After assessing that the transaction was not liable to harm competition in the concerned markets, the Autorité cleared the transaction.

Parties to the transaction 

Monoprix Exploitation is a subsidiary of the Monoprix group, mainly active in the food retail distribution. Monoprix manages six brands (Monoprix, Monop', Monop'daily, Monop'beauty, Monop'station and Naturalia). Monoprix is owned by Casino group, which is itself active food retail distribution.

The business concerned by the transaction is a food retail outlet under the Lafayette Gourmet brand, located in one of the main shopping centres in the Alpes Maritimes département.  Due to its surface area and its localization, it constitutes one of the biggest retail points in Saint-Laurent-du-Var, a neighboring town of Nice. 

The transaction is not liable to harm competition 

Having carried a detailed analysis, the Autorité notes that the Casino group will face competitive pressure from numerous distribution actors (Carrefour, Intermarché, Leclerc, Super U and Lidl), which together own more than two thirds of the retail points of the catchment area of the business acquired.

The Autorité de la concurrence was able to rule out any competition issue and cleared the transaction without conditions.

> The full text of Decision 19-DCC-06.

> Press contact: Chloé Duretête +33 1 55 04 01 20/ Email