French retailer Leclerc has been approached by e-commerce giant Amazon over a potential logistics partnership, according to a report by news outlet Reuters.
“Yes, we have been approached by Amazon,” Michel-Edouard Leclerc, the company's chief executive, told Reuters on Wednesday. “Amazon could - why not? - be our logistics partner.”
However, there has been no further comment from Leclerc or Amazon.
Partnerships
These reports come amid speculation that Amazon is considering new partnerships in the European supermarket sector, following its $13.7 billion acquisition of US retailer Whole Foods earlier in the year, which has shaken up the grocery industry on both sides of the Atlantic.
Leclerc is currently the top retailer in France, with 21.2% market share, according to the latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel. It has been able to extend its lead over rival Carrefour in the most recent quarter due to a positive performance by its stores, which are up 0.6% year on year.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
