French watchdog clears Auchan-Intermarché franchise deal

France's contention authorization has approved a woody allowing 167 Auchan supermarkets and hypermarkets to power to Intermarché oregon Netto banners nether a associated task controlled by Intermarché and Auchan.

The Autorité de la concurrence said that aft a referral from the European Commission (EC) it recovered the transaction was "unlikely to harm contention successful the markets concerned, whether successful the proviso of mundane user goods successful France oregon successful the section retail organisation of nutrient products".

ITM Entreprises, which operates Intermarché and Netto sister supermarket chains, is controlled by French retail cooperative Les Mousquetaires.

Auchan runs hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores and online market services successful France.

Under the plan, stores presently operating nether the Auchan banner volition beryllium tally by the caller associated task and rebranded arsenic Intermarché oregon Netto.

The transaction is portion of a broader concern betwixt the 2 retailers launched successful 2024 and expanded successful precocious 2025 arsenic Auchan pursued a franchise-led restructuring of its supermarket concern successful France.

The authorization said the main issues reviewed were the interaction of the banner alteration and the hazard that the woody could pb to coordination betwixt the 2 retailers connected prices oregon work quality.

On sourcing, the regulator noted that the 167 stores already obtained 50% of their supplies done AURA, the Intermarché-Auchan purchasing alliance.

Based connected accusation from some groups, it said the woody would not make oregon fortify suppliers' economical dependence connected Intermarché's purchasing operations.

In section nutrient retail, the authorization said the rebranding did not rise contention concerns due to the fact that Intermarché and Netto's combined marketplace shares remained beneath 50% successful each country examined.

The regulator said: "Consumers volition proceed to payment from contention betwixt respective nationalist banners."

The Autorité besides dismissed concerns that the transaction would facilitate coordination betwixt the 2 groups.

It cited their constricted marketplace powerfulness nationally and "several credible alternatives for suppliers," arsenic good arsenic structural differences betwixt Auchan's centrally managed web and Intermarché's exemplary of commercially autonomous autarkic retailers.

Auchan had presented the task successful November 2025 arsenic "an innovative practice model" designed to amended operational show and fortify French consumers' purchasing power.

The institution said astatine the clip that operating supermarkets nether the Intermarché and Netto banners would harvester "purchasing power, complementary formats and operational show to payment consumers' purchasing power".

"French watchdog clears Auchan-Intermarché franchise deal" was primitively created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand.