Closures imminent: 21 Casino shops to close, almost 1,000 employees affected

The final blow has fallen for the Casino group. Of the 25 stores that have not yet found a buyer, 21 will be forced to close their doors for good, due to a lack of takeover offers. Nearly 1,000 employees will be affected by this decision, as revealed by France Bleu Saint-Étienne Loire on Sunday 29 September, quoting a source close to the matter.

The unions are expecting the redundancy letters by mid-November at the latest, barring an unlikely last-minute turn of events. Potential buyers still have until Monday 30 September to come forward, but time is running out.

Very limited hope

Since last spring, these 25 shops have known that they were not part of the takeover discussions and agreements concluded with Auchan, Carrefour and Intermarché. These negotiations are part of the vast restructuring undertaken by the Saint-Etienne-based group, which is currently in serious financial difficulty. As a result, the chances of the doomed banners being saved have diminished over the months.

Sites affected by the closures

The 21 shops due to close soon are located in the following towns:

Aurillac (Cantal)
Brest (Finistère)
Chauray (Deux-Sèvres)
Chenôve (Côte-d’Or)
Lannion (Côtes-d’Armor)
Malemort (Corrèze)
Malestroit (Morbihan)
Marseille 14th (Bouches-du-Rhône)
Moissac (Tarn-et-Garonne)
Montceau-les-Mines (Saône-et-Loire)
Montpellier (Hérault)
Saint-Brieuc (Côtes-d’Armor)
Saint-Doulchard (Cher)
Saint-Jean-de-Losne (Côte-d’Or)
Saint-Michel-sur-Orge (Essonne)
Torcy (Seine-et-Marne)
Toulouse Basso Combo (Haute-Garonne)
Valence (Drôme)
Valentigney (Doubs)

A reprieve for four shops

Despite this gloomy picture, four shops will be able to continue trading thanks to buyers who have come forward. The sites concerned are

Agen (Lot-et-Garonne)
Échirolles (Isère)
Nantes (Loire-Atlantique)
Vénissieux (Rhône)