Food
The group of French family Zouari (current owners of frozen food giant Picard and one of Casino's major franchisers) wants to buy organic chain Bio c’Bon.
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General
Dutch non-food discounter Action is to trial click & collect in two of its French stores. The pilot is a direct consequence of the coronavirus crisis, which forced the chain to close all of its stores in several countries.
Although the French department stores have reopened since 29 May, traffic at Galeries Lafayette is still very calm. The corona crisis will cost the iconic department store group a total of more than a billion euros, causing the group to apply for state aid.
Fashion
French clothing webshop 3 Suisses has applied for and been granted protection against creditors in a move that, for once, seems to have nothing to do with the current coronavirus crisis.
Amazon can get back to work in France: the online retailer has reached an agreement with the unions on a phased restart of its distribution centres, after five weeks of inactivity.
Department stores and shopping centres of over 40,000 sqm in the Île-de-France region around Paris, like Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, have to remain closed until at least 10 July.
A rather special auction is organised in France: more than fifty famous brands from the fashion industry, from Chanel over Karl Lagerfeld to Dries Van Noten, are selling garments or accessories to buy medical equipment for hospitals.
Amazon does not comply with French anti-coronavirus regulations, a French Court of Appeal has now confirmed. Although the online giant is still allowed to ship essential products from French warehouses, they are all closed for the time being.
The closure of bars and restaurants has resulted in a sharp decline in Pernod Ricard's sales, which fell by 13.3 % in the past quarter. Only in America sales grew slightly, mostly because the lockdown measures started later in the United States.
French supermarket group Casino published a favourable quarterly report, with an increase in turnover that it largely owes to the lockdown in France. Both online activities and convenience stores reported exceptional results.
Hermès appears to be more resilient to the coronavirus crisis than many of its competitors: sales declined by "only" 7.7 % on a comparable basis in the first quarter, and sales in China are now expected to pick up again.
The Covid-19 pandemic has cost French luxury group LVMH 15 % in revenue in its first quarter. Most shops and production facilities are closed, but owner Bernard Arnault remains positive. He has waived his salary to set an example.
A storm of protectionism is blowing across Europe, now that the Covid-19 crisis is hitting trade and food production hard. Each country is dealing with the situation differently, not always abiding by EU regulations.
E-commerce giant Amazon will completely close its French distribution centres for a week, This decision follows a court ruling prohibiting the online retailer from selling products other than those deemed essential, as it would not take sufficient measures against Covid-19.
Orchestra-Prémaman has filed for receivership: the French children's clothing chain is only one more step away from bankruptcy. The chain is looking for a new buyer, hoping they will bring a new future.
Uber Eats is going to perform home deliveries for groceries from Carrefour in France. The company hopes to extend the cooperation to other countries, such as Belgium and Italy, on a later stage.
