Lidl France is believed be interested in acquiring 600 stores operating under the Casino and Monoprix banners in the country, according to media reports.
The discounter has sent a letter, signed by its managing director Kenneth Mc Grath, to the UK-based investment fund Attestor, outlining a list of 300 Monoprix and 300 Casino stores it would like to acquire, Le Monde reported.
On 15 July, EP Global Commerce a.s., Fimalac and Attestor sent a revised offer to Groupe Casino, which the retailer has decided to discuss, following 3F Holding's decision to bow out of the race to acquire the debt-laden group.
According to a report in the publication LSA, the discounter's interest in acquiring Casino supermarkets is not surprising considering the former's market share.
In the first quarter of 2023, the discount channel reported a 0.4 percentage point increase in market share in France, to hold 11% of the market, according to data from Kantar.
Led by Aldi, which grew its market share to 3.0% during the quarter (a 0.2 percentage point gain), and Lidl, which now sits on 8% (a 0.1 percentage point gain), the discount channel was the fastest growing during the period.
Groupe Casino
Groupe Casino reported a 6.6% sales decline in France in the second quarter, after a 4.6% drop in the first three months of the year.
Hypermarket sales were down 17.1% in the second quarter on a like-for-like basis, with supermarket sales down 13.9%, the group said. Its Monoprix arm reported a 2.2% increase in sales, and Franprix was up 4.3%.
The company expects full-year core earnings or EBITDA below €300 million, against an estimate of €440 million in a business plan presented last month.
