The Competition Authority announced on Friday that it had given the green light a posteriori to the takeover by Carrefour of the specialized distribution chain Bio C'Bon, subject to the sale of eight stores, notably in Paris and Toulouse.
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The Authority "
considered that the operation was not likely to significantly strengthen the purchasing power of the new entity vis-à-vis suppliers of organic products
", she explains in a press release on Friday. . Carrefour was chosen in November 2020 by the Paris Commercial Court as the buyer of 100 Bio C'Bon stores, a company subject to judicial liquidation proceedings. The Competition Authority then allowed Carrefour to buy the brand without waiting for its final decision.
The Competition Authority insisted on Friday on the exceptional nature of this exemption, which "
may in particular be granted in the event that takeover offers have been presented on companies in liquidation or receivership, as was the case in the species
”. The only downside: the Autorité de la concurrence has pointed out “
risks of harm to competition
” in the catchment areas of stores located in Paris (rue de Cléry, rue de Bourgogne, rue Lecourbe and rue du Poteau), Toulouse ( rue des Frères Lion, rue Paul Vidal, rue Rémusat), as well as in Levallois-Perret, Nancy and Puteaux.
In response, Carrefour has undertaken to sell, to one or more competitors, eight Bio C'Bon or Carrefour stores, located in these zones, in order to “
reduce the market shares of the new entity to a reasonable level
”.
"
An independent agent approved by the Authority will ensure the implementation of these cession commitments
", specifies the Competition Authority.
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It should be noted that the body “
for the first time recognized the existence of markets for organic products, by identifying both a supply market and a market for the distribution of predominantly food products from organic farming.
".
