E.Leclerc, the market leader in France, where it claims a 21.6% market share, is to acquire the Match, Smatch and Cora chains currently owned by the Belgian-based Louis Delhaize Group.
The latter currently has twelve Match supermarkets, 13 Smatch convenience stores and two Cora hypermarkets in Bertrange (City Concorde) and Foetz in the grand duchy. These 27 outlets employ 1,200 people, according to a press release in which the buyer commits to maintaining the workforce.
To strengthen its presence in a competitive European market, in formats that it has mastered and in a country where it was not previously present.
“For E.Leclerc, this operation will enable it to strengthen its presence in a competitive European market, in formats that it has mastered and in a country where it was not previously present,” commented the French giant in a press release. The takeover should be completed by the end of this year, the group added.
Sale in the air
The possibility of a resale was beginning to make itself felt in Luxembourg. Just last week, Belgian retail media specialist Gondola reported on the interest shown by competitors in the Cora and Match outlets in Luxembourg: “After Romania and France, Luxembourg seems to be the next stage in the family group’s withdrawal from food retailing, and with good reason: it will be easy to find potential buyers.”
Louis Delhaize has been selling many of its supermarket chains. Last spring, Carrefour announced that it was buying the retailer’s outlets in Romania and, last week, Match and Cora in France.
Leclerc, surprise candidate
In the end, the Luxembourg shops will go into the hands of Michel-Edouard Leclerc’s cooperative group.
“We weren’t expecting Leclerc," said David Angel, central secretary of the OGBL’s commerce union, after his meeting with Match and Cora. For the union leader, “the most important thing is that the staff and the collective labour agreements are taken over.”
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Founded in 1948 in Brittany, the E.Leclerc chain has expanded throughout France and internationally, opening stores in Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Andorra and Slovenia. Luxembourg has now been added to this international network.
It should be noted that the Luxembourg outlets will be supplied by the group’s Grand Est supply centre.
This story was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.