Auchan

Auchan Retail acquired 98 French food retail stores from the bankrupt Groupe Casino between April and July 2024 for an enterprise value of €1.35 billion, with the French Competition Authority granting final clearance in March 2025 subject to remedies on two stores. The acquisition was part of the broader Casino restructuring led by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský’s consortium that ended Jean-Charles Naouri’s 30-year control of the French grocery group, with Auchan taking 98 stores and Intermarché parent Les Mousquetaires taking 190 stores from the Casino divestment package. Guillaume Darrasse was appointed Auchan Retail CEO in September 2024, succeeding Yves Claude (who remains chairman), following ELO Groupe’s first-half 2024 net loss of nearly €1 billion that triggered the leadership reorganization.

Auchan operates as the grocery banner within ELO Groupe, the holding majority-controlled by the Mulliez family through Association familiale Mulliez (which also controls Adeo Group/Leroy Merlin and Decathlon). The brand was founded in 1961 in Roubaix by Gérard Mulliez and built into one of Europe’s largest hypermarket operators. Vision 2032 strategic plan sets 2028 EBITDA target at €1.6 billion (versus €0.9 billion in 2024), positive cash flow of €400 million (versus negative €300 million in 2024), and €1 billion in liquidity from real estate disposals between 2025 and 2026. €250 million in restructuring provisions were booked in 2024, with €62 million invested in price repositioning during the first half of the year.

Auchan operates approximately 1,800 stores across 12 markets including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Taiwan, Senegal, and Luxembourg, under multiple banners: Auchan (hypermarket), Auchan Supermarchés, My Auchan (convenience), and Auchan Drive plus Chronodrive (click-and-collect). Hypermarket downsizing is underway with 45 stores planned for resizing in 2025 and 2026, plus 21 more in 2027, targeting an average 8,000 square meter format by 2027 (down from 10,000+ historically) for half of the European hypermarket fleet. For mall operators, Auchan is a major anchor counterparty for hypermarket positions in retail park and mixed-use developments, with leasing decisions routed through ELO Groupe’s regional commercial organizations from the Croix headquarters.