Ruhrgebiet / DE. (eb) Aldi France, part of Germany’s Aldi Nord group of companies, has confirmed the acquisition of a total of 547 stores and three central warehouses of France’s Casino Group. To date, 545 units have been managed under the Leader Price brand, two shops under the Casino Supermarchés brand. This acquisition is an important milestone in the expansion strategy of Aldi France with the goal of becoming the leader in the French discount market.
With the largest acquisition in the history of the group, Aldi France is significantly strengthening its market position. The medium-term goal is to further consolidate and optimise the branch network so that customers can reach an Aldi store anywhere in the country within 15 minutes.
«We are very pleased to be able to further expand our brand by bringing together the stores and employees of Leader Price, Casino Supermarchés and Aldi. At Aldi, our aim is to provide everyone with what they need for their daily lives, wherever they are,» says Philip Demeulemeester, who is responsible for the discounter’s French business.
This week’s closing marks the conclusion of the negotiation process between the Casino Group and Aldi France. This 717 million EUR acquisition follows the submission of a binding offer in March 2020. Following the final approval by the competition authorities, the integration of the stores and warehouses can now begin. This process should be completed by the end of 2021.
Aldi France sees its approach of offering a reliable basic supply of high-quality products at the lowest possible prices as confirmed. «Especially in view of the past months, we have shown how important reliability, best quality and lowest price are for customers,» says Philip Demeulemeester. This is also Aldi’s claim in France for the coming years. The takeover of the shops and warehouses previously belonging to the Casino Group will help Aldi France in this respect, said Demeulemeester.
Aldi Nord group of companies is not only aiming for long-term and profitable growth in France. Florian Scholbeck, Managing Director Communications, explains that the goal of all Aldi Nord companies is to develop in a future-proof manner: «To this end, we are naturally focusing on organic growth, but we are also systematically examining the potential that could arise from acquisitions, for example.»
