The French food distributor Auchan announced on Thursday August 3 that it had acquired “all activities” of the Dia group in Portugal, i.e. 489 convenience stores under the Minipreço and Mais Perto brands, “own or franchised”, as well as three warehouses.
“Following this operation, Auchan Portugal will have the leading network in number of stores in the country”says the group in his press releasestating that the agreement signed on Wednesday “between Auchan and Dia also provides for the transfer of 2,650 employees”. Auchan Retail already has 70 physical stores in Portugal and currently employs 9,000 people there.
This acquisition provides for the group to take over “the 489 stores of the Minipreço and Mais Perto brands, owned or franchised, three warehouses, as well as the contracts, licenses and assets necessary for the operation”the statement said. “This operation is strategic for Auchan Retail in Portugal, as it will enable us to cover the entire country”, “we will have the largest number of points of sale in the profession”says the CEO of Auchan Retail, Yves Claude, quoted in the press release.
This acquisition will also make it possible to develop in Portugal “an offer covering all formats”of “from hypermarkets to convenience stores enhanced by digital technology”, he added. Yves Claude also welcomed this “new operation with the Dia group”Who “demonstrates the quality of the relationship we have with this major global distributor”. Auchan Retail had, in fact, announced last year the acquisition in Spain of 217 supermarkets of the Spanish chain.
The operation in Portugal does “following the Dia Group’s decision to refocus on its main markets as part of its strategy of proximity and simplification of its locations”, said Auchan. The transaction is subject to the approval of the Portuguese Competition Authority, the statement said. “and should be finalized in the coming months”.