Auchan Plans To Sell 19 French Stores To Lidl

The transaction includes ten stores from the Auchan network and nine recently acquired outlets from Groupe Casino, according to a report in the publication Distribución / Actualidad.

The companies have entered into exclusive negotiations, with the deal expected to close by the end of this year, pending regulatory approval.

Lay-Offs

In May, Auchan’s Spanish unit, Alcampo, announced that it would close 25 supermarkets in Spain and cut more than 700 jobs, as part of a restructuring plan.

Alcampo’s lay-offs will affect 145 supermarkets and eight hypermarkets in Spain.

The supermarket closures will impact stores across ten regions: Madrid, Navarre, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, La Rioja, Cantabria, Catalonia, Aragon, Asturias, and the Basque Country.

In November 2024, the French retailer announced that it would axe around 2,389 jobs, as part of its new social-plan project, according to media reports.

The lay-offs would affect 784 jobs at its headquarters and 915 store roles, Le Monde reported at the time.

Moreover, the retailer also planned to discontinue its direct home delivery business, which would affect approximately 224 jobs.

Annual Performance

The company reported revenue growth of 2.1% in its 2024 financial year, reaching €31.67 billion, with 4.2% growth in the second half of the year.

However, like-for-like sales fell by 2.8%, especially in France, with a decline in average selling prices and reduced non-food consumption.

While overall EBITDA decreased to €877 million, it improved in the second half of the year, by €25 million, excluding the impact of the acquisitions, demonstrating the effective cost management and competitive pricing strategies implemented by the company.