The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of the Géant Casino hypermarket of Saint-Grégoire (Brittany)
On 14 February 2019, the company Scaouest, to which a company controlled by a member E. Leclerc must replace, and the Association des Centres Distributeurs E. Leclerc (hereinafter "ACDLec") have notified the Autorité de la concurrence a project of acquisition of the Géant Casino hypermarket located route de Saint-Malo, Saint-Grégoire (35).
After reviewing the impact of the transaction on competition in the catchment area of this hypermarket, the Autorité de la concurrence clears this transaction without condition.
Due to the strong geographical proximity between the acquired hypermarket, which will pass under E. Leclerc brand, and a hypermarket already operated under E. Leclerc brand by the same member, both located in Saint-Grégoire (35), in the outskirts of Rennes, the Autorité, in addition to its traditional local analysis of the effects of a merger in the retail sector, conducted a specific examination through a market test (consultation) carried out on supermarkets and hypermarkets located in and near Rennes (35).
The presence of competing brands in the catchment areas of the two E. Leclerc hypermarkets guarantees the animation of prices and services for consumers.
At the end of the transaction, stores under the E. Leclerc brand will have a combined market share of less than 40%, regardless of the geographic zone studied.
In addition, these stores will continue to face the competition of the outlets of several independent retailers, including Carrefour, Cora, Système U and Intermarché, and will have to deal with three hypermarkets in the Carrefour and Cora brands, each with larger surface areas than the largest of the parties' outlets, which guarantees a wide choice for consumers.
Any risk of price increases or deterioration in the quality of the services offered to consumers located in the Rennes area could therefore be ruled out.
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