The major French supermarket chain Carrefour is interested in a takeover by the Canadian retail company Alimentation Couche-Tard. The two sides are conducting exploratory talks on this and it is not certain that a deal will be made.
Alimentation Couche-Tard owns, among others, The Circle K chain of convenience stores. Carrefour’s stock market value is about EUR 12.6 billion. Alimentation Couche-Tard has been converted to approximately EUR 29 billion.
A takeover would allow the Canadian retail company to expand its presence in Europe. Carrefour has more than 2800 supermarkets and 700 larger hypermarkets in Europe. The French group also has shops in Argentina and Brazil.
Carrefour faces fierce competition on the French domestic market, for example, from rival Leclerc and German price fighters.