Polish government considers takeover of Carrefour Polska

If Carrefour sells its Polish operations, the state-owned company Krajowa Grupa Spozywcza should make an offer to strengthen food sovereignty, the Polish Ministry of Agriculture says.

Guaranteeing stable prices

On Thursday, the Polish Ministry of Agriculture recommended that the Minister of State Property allow Carrefour’s activities in the country to be taken over by Krajowa Grupa Spożywcza. That group was formed in 2002 from a merger of various state-owned companies in the agricultural sector, various local media outlets indicate. Polish farmers are lobbying for the establishment of a state-owned retail chain that would purchase their products at stable prices. The reasoning is that this would be an opportunity to strengthen the national food chain.

Carrefour operates around 750 stores in Poland, including 90 hypermarkets, 150 supermarkets, 500 proximity stores and 40 shopping centres. Rumours have been circulating for some time that the retailer wants to leave the country. CEO Alexandre Bompard wants to focus on the group’s strongest markets and has already sold its operations in Italy. Carrefour has never been able to make enough profit in Poland. But whether the Polish government will take control of the company remains to be seen: there is also considerable interest from international retail groups, including market leader Biedronka (part of the Portuguese Jerónimo Martins group), Auchan, Kaufland, and Żabka.