Auchan Franchise Shift Leaves 11,400 Employees in Limbo, Social Benefits Uncertain
Paris, november 26, 2025 - A major restructuring at Auchan supermarkets is sparking anxiety among its 11,400 employees, as the retail giant announced plans Tuesday to franchise 294 stores to Intermarché and Netto. The move,revealed to many workers via press reports,raises critical questions about the future of their jobs and,crucially,the preservation of existing social benefits.
auchanretail, the group’s distribution arm, intends to establish a new legal entity to manage the rebranded stores under franchise agreements with Intermarché-Mousquetaires. While the company maintains that jobs are currently secure, labor representatives express deep concern about potential long-term consequences.
“For the moment, jobs are preserved, but we don’t know what will happen, perhaps in the long term intermarché will sort things out and close the establishments that are not working,” warned Sylvain Macé, national secretary at the CFDT Services Federation.
The decision to transition to a franchise model comes as Auchan seeks to lower prices and improve its financial performance. The iconic robin logo, historically used to signal early store openings, may soon disappear from these locations as the rebranding takes effect within the next year. The central question now facing employees is whether Intermarché will maintain the same level of social protections and benefits currently offered by Auchan – a detail that remains unclear as the transition unfolds.
