The French chain Auchan has decided to leave the Russian market, according to La Lettre magazine. The company is in the final stages of negotiations with a local buyer, but its name has not yet been revealed.
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The signing of the agreement is expected to take place in the coming weeks. The chain also wants to limit its activity in Hungary, but at the same time Auchan decided to maintain its presence in Ukraine, where the retailer currently has 43 stores, half of which are hypermarkets, the publication writes.
Le Figaro writes that the Mulier family, which owns the company, has selected two potential buyers, but has not yet received approval from the Russian authorities. According to a source close to the company, the reason for Auchan’s departure from Russia was “the deterioration of business conditions in the local market.”
The press service of Auchan Retail Russia informed RB.RU that the company continues to work for the benefit of the local population, despite rumors that have been circulating for several years about the sale of the retailer and its exit from the Russian market. These rumors have been repeatedly debunked, but the position remains the same. “We do not comment on market rumors,” they emphasized.
- In spring 2022, Auchan Retail announced the suspension of investments in the Russian division of Auchan. Two years later, Ceetrus, part of the Auchan group, completed a transaction for the sale of shopping complexes in Russia, the buyer of which was the Russian company Trade Galleries.
- Against the background of the change of founders of several organizations associated with the company, rumors arose about the cessation of the activities of the Russian Auchan. However, the company denied these reports and confirmed its plans to continue working in Russia. Auchan then recalled that since 2023, the Russian division operates autonomously from the French parent company Auchan.
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Author:
Karina Pardaeva
Source: RB

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