French retail group Les Mousquetaires, the company behind the Intermarché chain, has stayed silent on reports that it is looking to quit the Spanish market.
Les Mousquetaires, which is present in seven European countries outside France, entered Spain in 1988 and runs 53 supermarkets in the country.
However, a report in Spanish newspaper Expansión claimed that Les Mousquetaires had sustained havey losses in Spain in recent years.
The report also claimed that the retailer has signed a deal to sell its stores to local peer Bon Preu.
Les Mousquetaires, however, has refused to be drawn on the reports. “We’re not making any comment on this project,” a spokesperson told just-food today (2 July). “The president [of Les Mousquetaires] has said we cannot say anything about it.”
Les Mousquetaires’ international sales rose 9.5% in 2008 but the company highlighted the performance of its Polish and Belgian operations when it issued the numbers back in January. Group turnover was up 6.4% at EUR34.8bn (US$49bn).
Bon Preu, which could not be reached for immediate comment, saw its sales climb 7.6% in 2008 to EUR475.3m
