Fashion
Did French President Macron himself ask for the takeover deal between LVMH and Tiffany to be blown up? While the rumour mill is running, the legal battle is taking shape: in January, the fate of the fiancées will be settled.
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H&M subsidiary & Other Stories, which also has a range of beauty products, is testing a vending machine with its products in Paris. The retailer wants to promote contactless shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.
General
French sports goods specialist Decathlon opens a brand new concept, Decathlon DX. The 800 m² pilot store at the retailer’s headquarters is a concept store that will combine temporary thematic offers, 3D printing and RFID.
Food
French hypermarket chain Auchan is laying off 1,475 employees as part of a major reorganisation: a change of strategy is now necessary as customers are buying more and more online and less and less in stores.
French retail chain Carrefour has started a test in Paris, with a pick-up point for pedestrians that is fully automated. There is even a separate part for frozen foods.
French supermarket chain Carrefour is trialling a check-out process where customers can reserve a certain time slot at the till. The service, called C'Réservé, will be tested in Villiers-en-Bière near Paris starting 25 August.
Even Covid-19 seems unable to stop Zeeman. On the contrary: the Dutch textile discounter wants to open hundreds of new stores in France and Spain. In the remainder of the year alone, ten more are to be opened in France.
French fashion chain Camaïeu has found a new owner to save the company: real estate group FIB from Bordeaux. However, the stores in Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland are not part of the deal.
King Jouet has acquired 117 stores of its competitor Maxi Toys through its owner, the Gueydon family. The French toy store chain adds twenty stores to its Belgian network, currently consisting of one store near Brussels.
Comparable sales went down more than 40 % at French luxury brand Hermès, which felt obligated to emphasise that the crisis is not over yet.
Cosmetics
Cosmetics lose their importance during lockdowns: L'Oréal's turnover went down more than expected, while profit dropped as well.
French luxury group Kering, owner of Gucci and rival to LVMH, saw its sales drop by 44 % in the past quarter. Despite the first signs of recovery after the lockdowns, especially in China, the second half of the year remains uncertain.
Helped by strong growth figures in Belgium, Spain and Brazil, French hypermarket chain Carrefour ended the first half of the year with results that were better than expected. The group is focusing even more strongly on cost savings in order to increase profitability.
Luxury is one of the worst hit sectors by the covid pandemic, as proven (again) by LVMH's half-year results. Turnover went down 27 %, net profit even 85 %.
French retailer Carrefour and Uber Eats have extended their grocery delivery collaboration beyond France. Two Belgian cities will also take part in the pilot, which promises delivery within 30 minutes.
French clothing retailer Tati is forced to close its last remaining store due to the coronavirus fallout, fierce competition and changing consumer habits. That spells the end for the iconic pink and white chequers.
