At the end of January 2024, Les Mousquetaires and Auchan Retail signed an agreement with Casino to take over 288 supermarkets and hypermarkets in France, as well as the logistics warehouses. Some of these warehouses are now up for sale. So, who are the various companies targeting this type of asset? The experts at AURIS Finance, a consultancy specialising in mergers and acquisitions, take a closer look.
The dismantling of Casino’s assets continues. One by one, competitors are taking over the shops sold by the giant, which is experiencing major financial difficulties. According to official figures, Intermarché has taken over 164 stores, Auchan 98, and Carrefour 26. So far, 23 Casino stores have yet to be sold, including eight hypermarkets. Some of these have not been taken over because Auchan and Intermarché have deemed them unsalvageable.
In addition to the retail space, Casino’s competitors have become owners of the associated warehouses. This is the case, for example, with Les Mousquetaires group. However, the group that owns the Intermarché banners is gradually divesting itself of its warehouses. According to a report by media outlet VoxLog, it is against this background that service provider ID Logistics has set its sights on acquiring a number of assets. It is currently in the process of taking over the Casino warehouse in Saint-Bonnet-les-Oules in the Loire region, which is managed by its logistics subsidiary Easydis. The agreement, which stipulates that the site will be dedicated to Intermarché logistics in the region, is expected to be signed later this year. According to VoxLog, the group is also considering taking over another warehouse in the Centre-East region.
Contractual logistics
The ID Logistics model is that of a contractual service provider. Although it is not part of the supermarket giants, it is the exclusive partner of a retailer with whom it has a long-term cooperation agreement. Working alongside Les Mousquetaires, ID Logistics undertakes to transport and manage the group’s supply chain in the region with a view to optimising it.
On the same model, in December 2023 ID Logistics was chosen by AB InBev France, the world’s leading brewery group, to provide reception, preparation and dispatch services for two new sites. One will be located in Neuilly-Pont-Pierre (37), with a total surface area of 37,000 square metres, and the other in Cambrai (59), with a surface area of 60,000 square metres.
Eight million square metres
Listed on the Paris stock exchange since 2012, the ID Logistics group currently manages 375 sites in 18 countries. Its turnover for 2022 has reached €2.5 billion. The total surface area of warehouses under its management now exceeds 8 million square metres. This strength enables the group to create economies of scale by systematising its innovations. For example, the group recently announced the deployment in its warehouses of a new solution using AI to improve the reliability of order picking by interpreting data filmed by stereovision cameras.
Our experts at your side
The dismantling of the Casino shops in France marks the beginning of a new era in the retail sector. The balance of power between the various markets actors is being redrawn and the effects are being felt throughout the chain, particularly among logistics professionals. New transactions are expected in the coming months. AURIS Finance’s experts are specialised by sector. They can assist you in your search for financing and in your sale and acquisition projects.
