Carrefour has decided to drop a possible merger with Auchan after the two French retailers held exploratory talks in recent months, Le Figaro was quoted as saying by Reuters on Saturday. The decision was taken on Thursday by Carrefour’s strategic committee, on the recommendation of CEO Alexandre Bompard, who considered such a transaction too complicated. Carrefour and Auchan representatives could not be reached for comment.
Le Monde wrote in late September that Bompard was considering options to strengthen the sector and that the group he led had discussed with the Mulliez family, which controls Auchan. Carrefour announced in June that it had begun looking into various possible consolidations, sales or mergers of its subsidiaries abroad, but had not made any decision on the sale of assets.
In January, Canadian company Alimentation Couche-Tard dropped a € 16.2 billion bid for Carrefour after the French government opposed the deal, citing food security concerns.
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