How the Auchan family is building on real estate: retail giant becomes urban developer

The foundation of the powerful Mulliez retail family, owners of Auchan, Leroy Merlin, Decathlon, and more? Real estate arm Ceetrus, which manages a portfolio of approximately 8 billion euros in 11 countries and is evolving from a quiet cornerstone to a strategic growth engine.

From manager to developer

The Mulliez family is fully committed to real estate in order to diversify its sources of income, especially now that the hypermarket era is over. Whereas the real estate arm Ceetrus once mainly managed shopping malls next to hypermarkets, the division now operates as a fully-fledged developer. The focus is shifting towards mixed-use projects and urban redevelopment, according to an analysis by trade magazine FRS.