Auchan is Finally Leaving Italy

WRM Group and Conad signed an agreement to acquire Auchan Retail Italia, announced by the financial community.

The French operator announced that it had completed the sale of Auchan Retail Italia, which includes 1,600 stores of all formats – hypermarkets, supermarkets, and neighborhood stores under the banner of Auchan and Simply.

The agreement also provides that the shopping centers where Auchan Retail Italia’s retail outlets are located will continue to be operated by Ceetrus. With the acquisition of the Italian business of Auchan, Conad becomes one of the leading retailers in Italy.

The Italian stores of Auchan employed about 18 thousand employees, and they worked both in their facilities and franchising ones. It is the final step that Auchan made to leave the Italian retail market.

In May this year, it was reported that most of the stores operating in Italy were sold under the Conad brand (46 hypermarkets and about 230 supermarkets) to the Italian cooperative distribution group Coop. Also, Auchan sold 33 Arena Group supermarkets, a leading family business in Sicily’s distribution sector.