14 September 2011: Home furnishings and interior design retail sector
The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of sole control of Habitat by Cafom
The Autorité de la concurrence has examined the acquisition of sole control of Habitat by Cafom and authorised the transaction.
The Cafom group is active in the retail distribution sector for home furnishings and interior design products and household appliances. It runs stores in French overseas départements and collectivités, notably under the brand names But, Conforama, Musique & Son and First déco. The Cafom group also sells this type of product on websites (vente-unique.com and directlowcost.com).
Habitat France runs 26 stores in France retailing furnishings and interior design products.
Cafom and Habitat are both active in the retail of furnishings and interior design products but the Autorité de la concurrence identified that the merger would not hamper competition insofar as both groups do not have a foothold in the same geographical markets.
Indeed, the Cafom group only runs stores in French overseas départements and collectivités, while Habitat only runs stores in mainland France, Monaco, Germany and Spain.
The transaction leads to an overlapping of activity only insofar as mail order sales are concerned (mainly the websites vente-unique.com, directlowcost.com and habitat.com), a market in which the new group’s market shares will be very low.
> The full text of the decision 11-DCC-136 of 14 September 2011 will soon be published on the Autorité de la concurrence website
> Press contact: André Piérard / Tel: +33 (0)1 55 04 02 28 / Mel