Background
      
            

The Autorité de la concurrence has today cleared the takeover by Marcel & Fils of seven organic food retail stores operated under the Bio&Co banner, located in south-east France.



However, the clearance is subject to a commitment to sell one of these stores, located in the Salon-de-Provence area, to a competitor. This commitment was proposed by Marcel & Fils to address the risk of harm to competition in this area, and will ensure that consumers have access to sufficient alternatives and can benefit from competition between several banners when buying organic food products.
      
      

                
          
        
            The parties to the transaction



Marcel & Fils operates organic food stores under the “Marcel & Fils” banner in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Auvergne-Rhône Alpes and Occitania regions.



The stores concerned by the transaction are seven organic food stores operated under the “Bio&Co” banner, located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region and owned by Roloni, a subsidiary of the Teract group.



The seven stores that will be taken over by Marcel & Fils are the following:
      
      
      

                
          
              

  
  
      
      
                        Bio&Co store taken over by Marcel & Fils
                      Address
            
    
  
      
                      
                      Aix-en-Provence (13)
                      90 Chemin de la Pioline
                  
                      
                      Bouc-Bel-Air (13)
                      1596 Avenue de La Croix d’Or
                  
                      
                      Lambesc (13)
                      22 Avenue Fernand Jullien
                  
                      
                      Marseille (13)
                      201 Avenue de Mazargues
                  
                      
                      Vallauris (06)
                      1955 Chemin St Bernard
                  
                      
                      La Valette-du Var (83)
                      3 Avenue de l’Université
                  
                      
                      Salon-de-Provence (13)
                      Chemin des Cardelines
                  
          
    
  

      
      

                
          
        
            A risk to competition identified in the Salon-de-Provence area



In the vast majority of areas examined, the Autorité ruled out any risk of a reduction in the offering, due to the presence of several competing organic food retail banners.



However, the Autorité did not rule out the risk of the transaction harming competition in the organic food retail market in Salon-de-Provence (13).



The Autorité considered that, in this area, the consumer would not have access, following the transaction, to sufficient and credible alternatives to the parties’ stores when buying organic food products. This situation risked leading, in particular, to a reduction in the diversity of the offering, a decline in the service level or an increase in prices locally.



To obtain clearance for the transaction, Marcel & Fils has therefore undertaken to divest, to a competitor, the Bio&Co store located on Chemin des Cardelines, in Salon-de-Provence.



The store concerned by this divestiture commitment is the store located in Salon-de-Provence (13).



 

With the help of an independent monitoring trustee, the Autorité de la concurrence will ensure the commitment is implemented



The buyer of the store concerned, put forward by Marcel & Fils, will be approved by the Autorité de la concurrence, which will ensure that it is able to provide a credible organic food retailing alternative in this area. The Autorité will ensure that the buyer has the skills and financial capacities to operate and develop the store on a long-term basis. The divestiture of the store in Salon-de-Provence must include all the components required to maintain the viability of the business, in particular its staff.



 
      
      
      

                
          
        
          
            Decision 25-DCC-222 of 8 October 2025
      
          
            on the acquisition of exclusive control of Roloni by Marcel & Fils
      
        
                  
            
            The full text of the decision (in French) will be available soon
      
          
              
      

                
          
  
    Contact(s)
          
                
          
              
          
        
              


      
      
      
  
    
      
            Nicola Crawford
      
      
            Communication officer
      
    
    
      
            +33155040151
      
      
     Contact us by e-mail

Marcel & Fils Acquires Bio&Co Stores with Conditions

The Autorité de la concurrence has granted clearance for Marcel & Fils to take over seven organic food retail stores under the Bio&Co brand, located in south-east France. This approval comes with a condition requiring Marcel & Fils to sell one of the stores in Salon-de-Provence to a competitor.

This divestiture is aimed at preventing potential harm to competition in the local organic food market, ensuring that consumers have access to a variety of options and competitive pricing. The authority identified a risk in Salon-de-Provence where the transaction could limit consumer choices and lead to higher prices or reduced service levels.

Marcel & Fils operates its own organic food stores across several regions, while the Bio&Co stores are owned by Roloni, a subsidiary of the Teract group. The specific store that must be sold is located on Chemin des Cardelines in Salon-de-Provence.

The Autorité de la concurrence will oversee the divestiture process, ensuring that the buyer can provide a viable alternative in the organic food retail market. This includes verifying the buyer's capabilities and ensuring the store's operational viability post-sale.



Organic food retail sector: the Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover of 7 Bio&Co stores by Marcel & Fils, subject to the sale of one of these stores to a competitor

Marcel & Fils Acquires Bio&Co Stores with Conditions

The French competition authority has approved Marcel & Fils' acquisition of seven Bio&Co organic food stores, contingent upon the sale of one store to a competitor to maintain market competition.