In recent months, negotiators working on behalf of US retail colossus Wal-Mart have stepped up their efforts to find a way into the French market. They are focusing primarily on hypermarket facilities, notably those operated by GMB-Locéda (Cora) and Casino. Cora runs 59 such stores with an average sales area of around 8500m2. Casino operates 114 hypermarket outlets under the Géant Casino fascia, with an average sales floor space of 6800m2.

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As a report in German trade publication Lebensmittelzeitung confirms, the two French companies are linked by their common membership of the Opéra purchasing entity. Since Promodès merged with Carrefour to form the world’s second largest retailer, the competitive landscape in France has intensified. Prior to the merger, Cora and Casino benefited from the upheaval in the sector as well as the efforts of the market leaders to ramp up their positions through acquisitions. Carrefour boss Daniel Bernard, for example, acquired a 42% stake in Cora, which was later however relinquished following the merger with Promodès to appease competition authorities.


Casino currently holds 4% of the hypermarket sector, leaving it little scope to offer market leaders Carrefour and Leclerc any significant competition.


Wal-Mart has had mixed reviews in Europe so far, with the German operation struggling. In the UK, it acquired retail number three Asda and has encountered no significant problems. The acquisition of a hypermarket group in France would clearly signal the US giant’s intention to stay in Europe, and to make a serious impact on the sector. Back in 1997, Wal-Mart executives told analysts it saw US$50bn of its sales revenues eventually coming in Europe. If it adds French operations to its European portfolio, half of this figure would have been achieved.

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