Michel Edouard Leclerc, the head of eponymous French retailer E. Leclerc, has responded angrily to proposed laws that could make it easier for independent retailers to change fascia.
In June, the French finance ministry published a wide ranging package of changes in consumer law that includes plans to shorten contracts and affiliations, as well as non-competition periods for food retailers transferring between fascias.
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“The presidents of France’s three independents, which between them number 5,000 family businesses and employ 300,000 staff, have jointly written to [secretary of state for commerce] Frédéric Lefebvre to contest the stated aim of the proposed legislation,” Leclerc wrote on his blog. “It would, under the pretext of improving competition, weaken our members’ performance. Just to add insult to injury, ours are the three cheapest fascias on the market.”
The proposed legislation needs to clear the French parliament before the end of the year, otherwise it will be overtaken by the 2012 presidential elections.
