In a few weeks, the takeover of these two brands will be official. Customers who are used to shopping there will therefore notice certain changes.
When it comes to food shopping, the French have their own little habits. Most remain attached to physical supermarkets, and are increasingly turning to the cheapest brand to meet their budget. Eventually, some even have their favorite store, the one they always go to without exception. Except that since then, the crisis has passed by… Indeed, between competition, the rise of drives, inflation and the change in consumer habits, the mass distribution sector is today experiencing major difficulties. So much so that certain supermarkets and hypermarkets, established for years in France, have to change hands.
This is the case for two brands very well known to consumers: Cora and Match. Last year, on July 12, 2023, the Carrefour group announced the purchase of the Cora and Match stores from the Belgian group Louis Delhaize, for an estimated cost of around 1.05 billion euros. An acquisition which caused a lot of noise and which above all has consequences for the sector. The first is notable, Carrefour will strengthen “its leadership in the food distribution market in France”, could we read in the group’s press release. As a result, it would also seem that this marks the disappearance of the Cora and Match brands in France.
After the announcement of the takeover, the Competition Authority recently took provisional measures while awaiting the end of its investigation. She “decided to grant Carrefour a waiver to complete the acquisition of the Cora, Match and Provera brands (the purchasing center of the two distributors) on July 1, 2024, without waiting for the end of its competitive analysis”, the group told AFP. The merger will thus be effective from July 1.
But then, what will change? On paper, Carrefour will finally have the keys to the 60 hypermarkets and 115 supermarkets, which were until now operated by Cora and Match. However, there has not yet been any official communication on potential brand changes, including what will become of loyalty cards and points for Cora and Match customers. Some experts are already arguing that the Cora should come under the Carrefour colors.