Groupe Casino has posted a 0.5% increase in same store sales growth in its home market of France, with the retailer citing the 'gilets jaunes' protests towards the end of the year as a reason for the slowdown in performance.
The group's France Retail division posted 1.4% total growth in the period, and 0.2% organic growth, reporting sales of €4.92 billion for the quarter.
Banner Performance
In terms of its individual banners, Monoprix was up 0.5% on a same-store basis (+0.5% organic), with 'good momentum' in food and double digit e-commerce growth.
Casino Supermarkets posted same-store growth of 0.8% (+1.4% organic), however its Franprix banner posted flat same store sales and a 0.6% decline in organic terms, again impacted by Paris-based protests. Leader Price was up 2.1% on a same store basis and down 0.7% on an organic basis.
Notably, its Géant hypermarket banner saw organic growth of 0.3% and stable same-store sales, with the retailer reporting 'sustained food sales', an increase of 21% in organic sales and a 'good performance' for its Cdiscount 'corners'.
As for Cdiscount, the online channel saw growth of 11.9% in gross merchandise volume in the quarter.
'Total sales in the France Retail segment came to €4,919m this quarter, up +1.4% overall and +0.2% on an organic basis, including a scope effect of +0.8%,' the retailer said. 'Same-store growth amounted to +0.5%.
'The calendar effect represented +0.5% and the fuel effect was stable. Total gross sales under banner were up +2.5% this quarter. E-commerce amounted to 18%6 of the Group’s activity in France this quarter. In addition, the Group continued to integrate independent retailers to the franchise network, with 4 joining this quarter, 20 over full-year 2018 and 12 supermarkets and hypermarkets specialised in the sale of fresh foods and operated by the Quattrucci family, since January 1, 2019.'
In terms of the group's Latin America business, same-store sales were up 6.0% in the quarter, with total sales growth down 1.8% to €4.37 billion. Organic growth was up 10.4%.
Overall Sales
Overall, Groupe Casino posted a 3.6% increase in same store sales growth for the quarter, with total growth up 0.2% to €9.93 billion.
In terms of full-year performance, the group posted net sales of €36.6bn, up 4.7% on an organic basis and 3.0% on a same-store basis.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine
