French retailer Carrefour has announced the acquisition of 53 Billa supermarkets in the north of Italy from German group Rewe.
All the outlets are reportedly located in regions close to the southeastern French border, in Lombardy, Liguria and Valle d'Aosta.
In total, the supermarkets measure some 58,000m2, with a combined turnover of €300m in 2013.
The acquisition, dependent on the approval of the competition authorities, would strengthen the retailer's presence in the north of Italy and fits in with Carrefour's multi-format strategy.
Last month, the company reached a preliminary agreement with Spain's Dia to purchase the latter's French stores, which Carrefour owned until 2011 and which have been struggling to compete with the discounters on the French market.
Dia's market share in France was 1.6 per cent last year, when it made a loss of €18m, but it is the retailer's strong presence in the Paris area and in southeastern France that could raise competition issues.
'This transaction would contribute to the growth of Carrefour's multi-format store network in its domestic market and would allow Carrefour to best serve its customers by offering services tailored to the evolution of their consumption habits,' Carrefour said in a statement.
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