The French competition authority, Autorité de la concurrence, has approved the creation of a joint venture between ITM Entreprises (Intermarché) and Auchan Retail International (Auchan) to convert 167 stores currently operating under the Auchan banner to the Intermarché and Netto banners.

After a thorough examination, the Autorité determined that the transaction is unlikely to harm competition in the supply of everyday consumer goods or in local food retail distribution. The authority found that the market shares of the new banners in the relevant areas are below 50%, ensuring continued competition among various national retailers.

The analysis also addressed potential coordination risks between Auchan and Intermarché post-transaction. The Autorité concluded that both retailers have limited market power and that there are sufficient alternatives for suppliers, mitigating any concerns about price increases or service quality deterioration.

As a result, the Autorité has cleared the joint venture unconditionally, allowing the transition of the 167 stores to proceed without further conditions.